Michael Checchio is one of the nation's best writers about nature. This volumn is, in fact, a concise and beautiful evocation of the Southwest, full of paradox. In a passage about the San Juan River in New Mexico, for instance, Checchio describes how a well-intentioned environmental approach -- catch-and-release -- can produce bizarre results: huge, docile trout that give up virtually without a fight. That might be a metaphor for what is happening to much of the Southwest. And yet, Checchio evokes the beauty and timelessness of the place. This is a wonderful book.

This is really a lovely deck. The artist was inspired primarily by the artwork of the Southwest Native-American tribes and this deck does not reinterpret the cards a la Native American Tarot. Still the watercolors are highly evocative and will interest anyone with a love of this region and its Native culture. This deck is easy to read if you are familiar with Waite-Smith and will inspire anyone who uses it to learn more about the different tribes which inspired it as well as giving a new spin to traditional Tarot imagery.

I have lived in Texas for 15 years, this is a must have selection for your garden. The Texas flowerscaper gives you great references as well as care for each plant. Also many tips about which plants need alot of water for each region. Excellent book!!

First I am from Texas. That would normally bias me to any historical figure from Texas. However, without a doubt this man did more in a lifetime to fill any biography. As a Texas Ranger captain fighting Indians, fighting Mexican bandits, scouting for the US Army in the Mexican-American war, to California sheriff and land developer...everything is done in a big way in his life. James Greer writes a biography that is historically-fact based...he doesn't have to make Jack Hays larger than life...he lived larger than life.

As an avid reader of biographies from the wild west...this is no history book review of a man...this is the best lawman book I have ever read. This guy is now my number one wild west hero!

I highly recommend the book...you won't believe the bravery!

An engrossing history of the Kentucky mining industry. A very factual history of the exploitation of a land and its people by large steel and mining companies. The most important revelation of this book: they took everything and left nothing to the state and its miners.

I got this book as a gift, having never heard of it before. I'd never heard of it before, but am a fan of southwestern stories and about Glen Canyon in particular. Contrary to what I expected from the title, it's not just about the author's experiences rafting the Glen Canyon of the Colorado River. In fact, it's a collection of many essays covering about 30 years of his life in the desert southwest.

The essays are very personal and fairly emotionally charged. And yet, I didn't get turned off, because the author has a very conversational tone. There's lots of humor in here too, mainly in his descriptions of the strange people he's met in the desert. All in all, it was an easy and delightful read.

The first essay (which is where the book gets its title) alone is worth the price of the book, but I highly recommend reading the whole thing. And here's something that REALLY made reading the story about the Glen Canyon rafting trip a special treat for me. ...

In a newly revised edition enhanced with a new epilogue and photographs, LaVerne Clark's They Sang For Horses: The Impact Of The Horse On Navajo & Apache Folklore, is a fascinating and informative study of how the acquisition of the horse transformed the mythology and cosmology of the southwestern Native American cultures of the Navajo and Apache. Chapters include: The Acquisition of the Horse; The Gift of the Gods; The Magic and Ritual of the Raid for Horses; The People's Ways for Keeping Horses Holy; The Horse's Powers Over the People's Health; The Horse's Role in Folk Customs and Other Ceremonies. A strongly recommended addition for any academic or community library Native American Studies reading list or reference collection, They Sang For Horses also features an extensive bibliography for further readings, as well as a "user friendly" index.

This book talks about the world view of an American Indian child - talking about their house, their yard, their pets, their world. The watercolors are colorful and light. The book is beautifully printed and is a precious item to own. For parents interested in introducing their children to various points of view this is perfect.

A very approachable book on the fur trade era in the southwestern U.S. Whereas some historians can and do overburden the reader with a plethora of facts and footnotes, this is not the case with "Reckless Breed of Men". Dr. Cleland includes two excellent chapters on both of Jedediah Smith's southwestern explorations from 1826-1828 along with chapters on other influential trappers of the times, James Ohio Pattie, Ewing Young, Joseph Walker and members of the Hudson's Bay Company, Peter Skene Ogden and John Work. Also included are chapters on the Sante Fe and California trade. This is a well written, informative book which illustrates the many hardships and misfortunes these men endured during their exploits into unknown territories.

I have been reading books of late about the Texas Rangers. They are varied. This one is remarkable. Half the book is about his adventures as a Ranger. The second half is about being captured and living with the Comanches. It is an amazing story. Not great literature and bit dated in its prose, but I thought a wonderful read.