This book is a thorough cataloguing of how plants were and still are used in medicine by Native American and Mexican culture. The author obtained her information by interviews with patients and pouring through endless articles on the subject. It is a study of ethnobotany in the American and Mexican West that is both interesting and useful, especially to the professional who is treating patients who might also be taking these medicines.

I have found this book to fairly and clearly state the occurances that compliment a gringo's trip through the land of the Maya. I myself am in Guatemala for three months, and have not only found myself to relate to Canby in his wary gringohood, but I've also found it to be an amazing source of historical information, political information, as well as a travel guide with tips on how to approach the touchy subject of recent Guatemalan politics.

What a great introduction to a vigorous culture that many of us had erroneously assumed no longer existed! I feel that a whole new part of the world has opened up before me, thanks to Peter Canby's excellent research and intrepid reporting. Mr. Canby includes information that he gathered from anthropologists, epigraphers, naturalists, textile experts and other people who have lived their lives immersed in one aspect or another of the Maya world. He also obviously did a lot of background reading which adds further depth to the portrait his book presents of the past and present Maya phenomenon. In addition, the author reports on his own travels in the region, from the Yucatan to Chiapas to Guatemala. His firsthand experiences bring vividly to light the Maya world as it is today. I found it very enriching to learn from this highly readable book about the ancient, yet evolving universe of the Maya.

THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ ABOUT NEW MEXICO. IT SHOULD BE ON EVERYONE'S 'MUST READ' LIST. A WOINDERFUL GIFT BOOK.

The interest in the seemingly never-ending myths and legends about river trips through the Grand Canyon continues to grow. One of the enduring controversies that continues to surface among Colorado River historians is the question of who really was the first to travel the river through the Grand Canyon. Historically, the credit is given to John Wesley Powell for his amazing feat in 1869. However, there is, and always has been, a dispute about whether or not a Colorado prospector named James White may have actually made the first descent two years earlier than Powell, in 1867. If this is true the legend and accolades surrounding the Powell trip, while significant, will have to be revised to take into account White's accomplishment.
Eilean Adams is the granddaughter of James White and has written the first complete account of the controversy surrounding her grandfathers claim to have traversed the river through the Canyon in eleven days, two years prior to Powell's trip. It is an amazing story that was originally widely believed and publicized. White had been prospecting with another man near the San Juan River in Colorado when they encountered hostile Indians. His partner was killed and White claims to have fashioned a raft and began an eleven-day journey down the Colorado to eventually wash up on the shore at Callville, Nevada.
In a highly readable, absorbing manner Adams has written a compelling account of White's life and journey that is meticulously researched and provides a plausible and compelling case that White did in fact accomplish the unbelievable. The story will appeal to the reader favoring a good mystery as well as those hooked on historical events and legends. The book is well documented with chapter notes; references, sources, and other related documents that provide the reader with the first comprehensive account of a story that will not die. Was James White really the first person to traverse the Grand Canyon via the Colorado River? If so, why do historians insist on giving the credit to John Wesley Powell? The answers to these and other questions make this book a first rate addition to the literature of the West.

As a diver and avid spearfisherman I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from start to finish. Humberto expertly illustrates the essence of what it takes to dive on an oil platform. This aspect of scuba diving is definitely not for the faint at heart. His light humor throughout the book as he describes his dive buddies, friends, and adventures keeps your attention and adds to the story. I've never dived on an oil platform or "rig" as they are called, but after reading the book and hearing about all the big fish lurking below, I'm looking into making a trip to good ole Louisiana. Although he describes hunting 100 lbs plus fish, I'd settle for the 30 pounders. His stories of murky waters, sharks, eels, and angry trigger fish make you think twice about actually diving in, but hey, that is what makes for great diving stories. My hat off to Humberto. I only wish his book had more stories...at 203 pages, my appetite was just getting wet.

A very historically competent account that reads like a novel. Was very pleasantly surprised, changed my perception of Mexican history.

This book is completely engrossing. It reads like good fiction (but is entirely factual), with a well organized "story" line and and excellent portrayals of the of the main individuals involved in this inherently confusing struggle. I have read the book twice, not because it is obtuse (it is relatively easy to follow), but because it is so enjoyable to read. I think that this is a must for anyone with an interest in Mexican history

In the Southwest, water rights are a war zone; the film "Chinatown" (with Jack Nicholson), of course, showed that the fight could even be the background for fictional excitement. This work of legal and social history is hardly a whodunit, yet the real-life battle it surveys possesses a vivid life nevertheless, in the author's highly readable prose. Hall is a law professor, so it's not surprising that he's done plenty of homework, and has mastered the facts of the story he tells. But he also writes with a humorous touch--appropriately dry (what else?)--and knows how to keep things personal too; he weaves his own experiences (as lawyer, writer, and also gardener and weekend farmer) into the story. As I write (spring, 2002), water shortages may be turning from a regional into a national phenomenon. Even if that danger abates soon, though, we can't take any environmental issues for granted any more, so a book like this has cautionary value too. Water: Gotta have it. Maybe optimists can happily relax if a glass is half-full, but we all need to apply higher standards of worry, when it's a matter of reservoirs. And the book's a wonderful read, too.