I have read many books about pioneering women who set up homes from scratch and quilted for practical and soul-fulfilling reasons. Usually though, those women are long gone and we are left with rather dry details of their lives. The joy of this book is that the women whose words are recorded in it are living, breathing members of that pioneer group, and, even though their experiences were in the 20th rather than the 19th century,the issues and incidents are the same and they tell a vibrant story.
The book records conversations amongst Texas quilting groups, to which the authors were invited and the ladies seem eager to tell stories of their early days in dug outs and cabins, their families scaping a life from the soil and their role in that. None of them ever sound hard done by or as if they wish their lives had been different. And they are all keen to express the creative and fulfilling role that quilting has had in their lives.
If you are not a quilter, you will still enjoy the strength, friendship and nobility that run through these conversations - they are a link with a passed era, which I felt honoured to share as I read.

This book is facinating with it's history of American pioneer women. It contains real quotes from real people about the lives that they lived. If you have seen or been in the play you will be delighted to see that some of the show's monologues are word-for-word from this book! I't's a moving book and a moving play.

This book is a wonderful tribute to women...quilters or not. The book is filled with interviews, pictures, and descriptions that bring the joy and sorrow of daily living to life. If the simple things in life are indeed the sweetest.... then these women and their quilts tell the sweetest story ever...they tell our story... they are our history.

I have enjoyed this cookbook so much, that it has become my current favorite hostess gift! The recipes are wonderful, and I appreciate the variety of the suggested menus. Most of all, this book educates the reader with "Chefs Corner" tips and a lengthy explanation of southwestern cooking terms and proceedures. Learning how to properly roast vegetables has given a healthy boost to my repetoire, as well as introductions to other southwestern staples.The pictures are also very appealing~ this is just a delightful cookbook that I would highly recommend to anyone with an interest in colorful, healthy food.

I have used several of the menus, and have received rave reviews from all my guests. Everything I have made was FLAVORFUL,TASTY AND INTERESTING. Many of the recipes easily lend themselves to advance preparation - I prefer to spend time with my guests, and not cooking in the kitchen. There are recipes for all levels of expertise, and my 12-year old daughter has made several of the dishes. The recipes interpret historic Santa Fe cuisine in an innovative contemporary style. I am so happy to have added Summer in Santa Fe to my cookbook collection....

This absolutely gorgeous book immediately brought back memories of an idyllic summer stay I once enjoyed in Santa Fe. While the recipes themselves are quite nice, it is the photography, history of the city, and evocative intros to each section of the book that make this cookbook really stand out. The layout and design of the pages beautifully conjure the city too, with southwestern woodcut borders decorating each page. From the ripe, prettily plated blueberries on the cover, to the darling little boy in the giant sombrero in the fiesta section, this book is truly a feast for the eyes!

ANTES DE QUE SE METAN EN PROBLEMAS, O CUANDO COMIENZAN CON MALOS PASOS.
Una NOVELA-VERDAD
Te lo recomiendo para tus hijos de trece años para adelante...

QUE PUEDEN ENCONTRAR LOS MUCHACHOS!
Es una novela que les indica los puntos de peligro que rodean la vida de los jovenes, ya sea el alcohol, las drogas, la velocidad o hasta ser promiscuos..
Un verdadera lección en una obra tan apasionanbte, que ningun chico puede evitar leerla...
De verdad, amigos: LA MEJOR LECCION DEL MUNDO !
En las secundarias de Mexico se usa como texto de consulta, y los maestros reportan grandes cambios positivos en los chicos !

make them the most PRECIOUS GIFT: This novel that shows them the real perils that stalk them...

If you don't, but like good,short novels..It's a magnificent reading

Muy util para cualquier viajero, ademas de ser una forma rapida, entretenida y amena de aprender a cerca de diferentes lugares, tanto reconditos como cercanos, peligrosos o culturales. La gran variedad de informacion, fotos e historias me gusto mucho.

This CD Rom takes you in a most exciting trip across Mexico, with all its beauty and exotic views, mixed with the art of LF Camino, a great artist who makes it absolutely unique. It's a must! and you won't forget it.

I found this really helpful CD-Rom when I was preparing a travel along the Mayan Route in Mexico and I must say that I enjoyed very much the way it combines useful information with beautiful images and music. I truly recommend it to all those people who like travelling as much as I do.

I remember years ago when I was a kid a story my father told me about an amazing river rafter and boat builder. My Dad grew up in Coquille and went to school with Buzz's younger brother. His story always ended with how Buzz had been on a rafting trip in eastern Oregon and went off and committed suicide. I could never understand how someone who had done the amazing things he did could end his life on that note. I thought about that story many times over the years and always wished I knew more. This book is incredibly well researched and documented. Even though many questions were answered, many more were raised. Such was the enigma that was Buzz Holmstrom.

Well-written and researched. But the thing that shines through is Buzz and his strong spirit - the writers were careful to be sure this was HIS book, not theirs, which is how it should be. A true boatman's boatman, Buzz was maybe born too soon - it seems the world wasn't quite ready for his singular love of the rivers and nature. This book won't disappoint you - what will disappoint you after reading it is that Buzz is gone.

True adventure is not limited to distant lands and times long ago. Here in the good ol' U.S. of A., just a few short years ago, a common man blew his fanfare in the form of beautiful wooden boats made without plans by hand in his basement, and in his solo running of whitewater rivers in those boats. If you have ever slept under the stars, you will understand a bit of Buzz and why he did what he did. You may even want to do it yourself. Buzz would like that.

THIS BOOK WA ASSIGNED TO ME BY MY TEACHER AND AFTER READING THE ENTIRE BOOK, THE THING I MOST REMEBER IS THE CHAPTER ON JEEMY A WHITE MALE THAT WANTS A CALM AND PEACEFUL LIFE AND HE IS RICH TOO.

I enjoyed the stories in Enchilada, Rice and Beans, but my favorite was the one about El Gato, who is a character bigger than life in all that we find out about him at the party in his honor. Reveles tells some good stories and I think they don't have to be super great to please the critics,just warm enough to encourage a good look at out neighboors to the South, who embrace life slightly differently in some ways, and yet just like us in others. Very enjoyable.

What an extraordinary writer! I'm jealous! How can one person be so talented? The book is so sweet, so full of heart, so sad and so delightful all at the same time. Reading it is like eating the best feast you can imagine, with all your taste buds engaged. I can't wait to read the next book: "Chips and Salsa".

I just returned from touring Baja and experiencing the magnificent gray whale. Serge Dedina spent a significant amount of time researching the content; he succinctly conveys the history of politics and conservation in Baja California in this book. After visiting the same places he lived, and experiencing the people, environment and Gray Whale, I can attest to the fact that Dedina's work is dead-on accurate. Reading this will save you months of research. And, if you are fortunate enough to travel to Baja, I can guarantee you will come away wanting more, and wishing you had done your homework.

(From Planeta Journal) - For the past several years, one of Mexico's most pressing environmental controversies was whether or not the Mexican government and the Mitsubishi Corporation should develop a new salt mining operation within the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, one of the world's four breeding areas for gray whales. A candid text, Saving the Gray Whale provides an engaging capsule history of whale conservation in Mexico and a timely review of environmental politics.

In fact, the timing could not be more opportune for this book. Within a month of publication, the plans for the salt operation were cancelled. For readers who are only now learning about this issue, this book is an excellent resource.

Saving the Gray Whale is a must-read book for whale watchers and readers interested in Mexican environmental issues. The candid tone stems from the author's travels and research in Baja, not to mention dizzying trips to Mexico City, where the labyrinths of political power stray far from efficiency. The author combines analysis from historical reports, planning meetings and from encounters on the road or from a kayak paddled across San Ignacio Lagoon.

This book is a treasury of little-known facts ("Gray whales are not gray") and a straightforward review of environmental politics in Mexico -- at least as far as the government is concerned. The list of players is a must-read for anyone interested in environmental issues! Unfortunately, it does not have the same depth when it reviews how the conservation groups ("Non-Governmental Organizations") operate. Is the "Grupo de los 100" really Mexico's "most influential" environmental group? Likewise, what do The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund do in Mexico? Reports are kept hush and the author doesn't seem to question the lack of transparency.

This book combines a captivating portrait of the whales and the people of southern Baja with a well-documented political analysis of the challenges involved in conservation. Plus, it's a great read.

A friend who is a river guide gave me this book. I never really understood the fasination with rafting until I read this. The writing leaves a little to be desired, but the subject matter and the information is very moving.

A friend told me about this book several years ago when I was raft guiding on the Colorado River a little north of the Grand Canyon. I bought the book, and absolutely loved it. As one of the rare breed of female white water rafting guides, it was amazing to read about other women who shared my passion for the river and for the wild places around us. Breaking into the Current is NOT a male-bashing book; it filled with stories that are waiting to be told--stories by and about interesting women who went into a career that few women would consider entering. I loved reading the stories about Lava Falls, the making of Crystal Rapid, and all the others. Each time I return to the book it makes me ache to be on the river yet again.

A few years back on my first trip through the Grand Canyon I was lucky enough to be in a group that included Louise Teal as one of the guides. I bought this book after the trip and read it on the drive home. I was blown away. Her love of the canyon, the river, the people...it all glows from every page. Rafting the Grand is a life-changing experience; and the elements that make it so are all here--captured and expressed by a woman who has become part of the river and vice versa. She tells the stories of the women who 'broke into the current' with humor, sensitivity, respect and love. On top of all that, she is a very talented writer and this book works purely on that basis. If you've ever run the canyon, buy this book. If you have ever wanted to run it, buy this book. If you've got no interest in the canyon or the Colordo river but enjoy good writing about real stuff, buy this book.

I don't think this story is as exquisitely constructed as Doerr's 'Stones for Ibarra.' (In 'Stones for Ibarra,' Doerr wove a series of short stories into a rich tapestry of a novel; 'Consider This Senora' has a more traditional structure.) However, she still does a wonderful job describing rural Mexican culture from an American outsider's point of view. The language she uses is clear and concise, and at the same time full of beautiful descriptions that reflect her understanding of her characters and of the human experience in general. Doerr's prose often reads almost like poetry. This book will leave you with many beautiful images of rural Mexico.

I first read CONSIDER THIS, SENORA many years ago. I have since re-read it several times, and have given it as a gift many times to fellow book lovers. This story is so beatifully written in its vivid characters and the colorful landscape of rural Mexico.

Ms. Doerr has assembled a small cast of players, with very different backgrounds and motivations, and dropped them on a mesa to live out their hopes and perhaps their dreams.

As she lived in Mexico for many years with her husband, who was a diplomat, Ms. Doerr paints the novel with very detailed descriptions of the smallest things like the colors of flowers. You almost can smell and see the blooms in your mind's eye.

One of the most poignant scenes is that of someone playing a piano and it sounds echoing softly across the mesa in the midst of a rainstorm. The imagery is dreamlike and quite peaceful.

Ms. Doerr didn't start writing in earnest until she had returned to college to earn her history degree when she was in her 70s. She has since written a collection of short stories, TIGER IN THE GRASS. She has a talent that has indeed been overlooked by millions of readers everywhere. Hopefully with time she will be recognized for her immense gift of storytelling!

Superb reading. Pass it along to a good friend sometime....

There is only one word I can think of to describe this magnificent book- Beautiful! It has been years since I last read this masterpiece, yet I still tear up just thinking about its story, and great characters. This story is highly overlooked, yet is in my opinion, one of the greatest books I have ever read. BEAUTIFUL!