Alligator Dance is a collection of stories by Janet Perry which introduce you to the Mexican culture and 'south of the border' mentality of a palette of colorful characters.
South Padre (Story 1) shows what happens to character, Jesse Folcher, when he can't love the one he's with and what results in the end.
Alligator Dance (Story 2) is written from a child's point of view on the aspect of the child's encounter with another child who is an outsider. Anyone who had grown up with 'unique' friends will recognise the disjointed and confusing thinking.
The Waco Wego (Story 3) brings back memories of "To Kill a Mockingbird" when the child's father, who is a lawyer, works at attempting to help a local woman's son who committed a heinous crime.
Mountains, Roads, The Tops of Trees (Story 4) is a love story, compacting a lifetime into a graceful gesture before death.
Nosotros (Story 5)is a chapter excerpt that was developed into a beautiful 'love/hate' relationship story between two women in "A River Beyond the World."
Whitewing (Story 6) is a story about subconcious prejudice that develops into concious hatred.
Huevos (Story 7) is a story about a young man who takes action against events beyond his control and the realization that only running way will solve his own issues.
What the Thunder Said (Story 8) tells a story about a young woman who assumes too much, takes too much, and looses everything at the end.
Job's Daughters (Story 9) shows how cousins from two different cultures can come together as a family when there is a need.
Daughter of the Moon (Story 10) shows that the difference between two grandmothers can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending upon what a child remembers.
All these stories are beautifully written, give glimpses into different cultures or your own mind, where discoveries are made because of similar patterns of thinking.
You will come away from this book feeling pleasantly surprised and entertained and wanting to think over the stories, perhaps reading them again to see what other lessons can be gained. I highly recommend this book for those looking for deep meaning for life and a variety of viewpoints.

We recently discussed this book in our book club and for the first time ever, there was a conformity of opinion. We all agreed that this collection should be high on any reader's list of "must read" books.

Peery's ALLIGATOR DANCE is like a collection of family letters found stashed away in a great aunt's attic--they are our stories, and the stories of our mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters, and all the people we call family. The names and locations may be different, but we know these people.

If you've ever spent time in a small town, you'll recognize the people and the attitudes in "The Waco Wego." If you're from Texas you're bound to feel that salt air whipping your hair in the story "South Padre" and smell the cumin and cilantro hanging thick in the air when you read "Nosotros," "Huevos" and "Whitewing."

But these stories don't contain any "easy answers." Peery does what all good writers do-- she gives us more questions than answers and leaves it to us to sort it out.

These are stories that resonate with humor and poignancy; stories that encompass the whole range of human emotions. They are funny and eccentric, touching and sad, but always full of life and love. At the bottom of all of them is the idea that we are all here by some great miracle of chance and that there is no understanding, no great insight of knowledge that will help us finally make sense of it all. All we can do is live life with humor and grace and, as she says in one story, "the maybe-hope of heaven."

These stories, with their intimate glimpses into truth and love and human behavior, are like a compass to get us started in the right direction.

Rebekah Mercer

Having lived many years among the Yupik in Southwestern Alaska, James Barker does an exceptional job of accurately portraying the cyclical nature of life in rural Alaska. The changing of the seasons and how they affect the gathering and subsistence activities of the Yupik comes across clearly in the photographs. This book is important in the documentation of a way of life that is rapidly being subversed by the global economy which involves oil, stocks, and money.

James Barker tells a story in pictures and words so richly that either of those media may have sufficed. The photos are powerful -- I was awestruct by the originals when I had the chance to see them in an Alaskan art museum --and they tell a story of an ancient culture in transition. The words are mostly the old stories and traditions that are still being passed down to the next generation.

This book is BASIC in its context...don't expect any major revelations except, of course, if you haven't read anything about the Native Americans of the Southwest. It is beatuifully illustrated with some color photos, many excellent charts & maps, and many many turn of the century photgraphs of the area. I live in Phoenix so many of the places are familiar to me. It is amazing to see a freeway going over a Hohokam ballcourt or to note that many of the canals in use TODAY in Phoenix began as Hohokam irrigation canals. All in all, a nice book. The publishers could have cut costs a little, though, if they had used regular paper instead of the heavy glossy paper, but the photos look so great on the heavier paper it is worth the price.

I enjoyed this volume because I lived briefly in Arizona and saw some of the ruins (Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monument) mentioned. I had read a book on Monte Verde as a child but other than this modest brush with SW archaeology, I knew little or nothing about the prehistory of the area. This volume was a good place to start for information about the material data available and the way it has been assembled to create a clearer picture of the settlement of Native Americans across this part of the continent. I found particularly interesting the notion careful custodianship of available resources of an entire area allowed a fairly large population to thrive without agriculture. The author also points out clearly that even at the stage of nomadic existance, when little material evidence is available, the cultural differences attendant upon a lifestyle of wide range migration following animals as opposed to intensive plant use within smaller areas are still distinguishable and can be seen in material remains--or relative lack thereof--over a region under study. Of interest too was the concept that farming, far from being the panacea for mankind it is often seen as being in the modern world, was actually a double edged sword. It encouraged increased population density--with an increase in food and fewer problems for sedentary mothers raising children and an increased demand for labor creating population pressures for which a natural environment would not be able to provide in emergencies--which left the farming peoples much more vulnerable to weather changes and episodes of famine. Schooled as I had been in 1960s and 70s anthropological concepts of "better life through agriculture," it was a novel notion that the hunter-gatherer forbears of early farmers had actually been better nourished and that their mobility and understanding of a larger range of countryside actually had left them less vulnerable to environmental mishaps than agrarian people. The volume also does an excellant job of describing some of the better known and publicized settled cultures of the SW, such as the Hohokam and Anasazi with which I was somewhat familiar having lived in the Phoenix area, and the less well known Mogollon and Mimbres (known more for their lovely pottery) cultures. The book is well illustrated with maps, drawings and photographs that will help give the reader a fuller understanding of the written information. It also sticks to the interpretation of the data described rather than going into elaborate detail regarding actual excavation in the region, which would probably lose the average reader on the subject. I found the book very informative on the subject, and wish I'd had it to read before I lived in the area. I would probably have gotten more out of my stay.

In its almost 50 parts, all written by experienced cooks and cook book writers, HP Books' "The Book of ... Cooking" series takes you to the cuisines of various regions of the U.S. and around the world; all in easy to follow, well-explained recipes.

This installment, the Book of Regional American Cooking (Southwest), presents recipe suggestions for all major courses, from appetizers and snacks to desserts and drinks. Special chapters are dedicated to soups, stews and chiles, breads, and vegetables and sides. Loads of different varieties of quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, tamales, salsas, tortillas, tostadas, fajitas, tacos, refried beans, guacamole, huevos rancheros, nachos and margaritas appear next to unique dishes such as chilled avocado bisque, honey-glazed pecan cake, chili-cheese brioches, cumin vinaigrette, shrimp gazpacho, juniper lamb stew, lamb with pineapple salsa, nectarine-cajeta tart, Southwest sushi rolls and spiced apple sorbet.

From achiote seeds to Zuni squash soup, this collection of recipes, while not all-encompassing, is a great introduction to the richness and unique flavors of the Southwestern cuisine - and at a relative bargain price, to boot. Also recommended: This series' installments on Mexican cooking and on dips and salsas.

There is nothing magic or secret about southwest cooking. Unfortunately, so many of the recipes are family favorites that are simply handed down through generations that very few traditional recipes are written anywhere.

For example, if you're not native to the southwest, you'll have extreme difficulty finding a recipe for Carne Adovada (p. 51), simply because most southwest cooks make this wonderful dish with as little thought as most people give to scrambled eggs.

This little gem presents almost 100 recipes. Some are very traditional, everyday dishes like guacamole, chile con queso, etc. Others are less tradtional, like Glazed Grilled Quail and Venison with Chipotle Cream. In addition, the author explains the ingredients necessary to create these southwest dishes.

My only complaint is that the book doesn't open flat. But that's not a big deal - by now, it falls open naturally to my favorite recipes.

This book has some very beautiful pictures of Missouri. It shows Missouri's versatilty through some of the great cities and vast country and farmland scenes. I would reccomend this book to anyone who is interested in, or loves Missouri.

This book is just a beautiful pictoral of Missouri and I'm using it to show people outside of the USA where I live and how beautiful our state is. The book purchased was great - shipping seemed a little high - so not much benefit from getting it at the bookstore.

Henry is traveling through the desert in his "motorized" home when he meets Susan. The last straw for Susan is losing her brother and doesn't feel life is worth living anymore. Henry vows to change her mind if she is willing to give him 48 hours of her time.

In 48 hours Susan dicovers a new way of living and finds herself enjoying the company of Henry and this nomadic lifestyle. Susan learns about love, family, and friends. She discovers a whole new world she never knew existed, and most importantly, finds happiness.

Reading "Crossing the Desert" was a completely refreshing and unexpected experience. The journey taken by the two main characters, Henry and Susan, is fascinating and exhilarating, with surprises and twists around each cactus and curve in the road. This story kept me hooked from beginning to end with its beautiful imagery, humor, and intense characters. The relationship between the two main characters is unusually dynamic. Toward the end of the story you feel as if you really know them and cheer them on for what they have been through together, and also where they may be headed next. Ken Rubin conveys the essence of the American Southwest so accurately and beautifully, that you will feel like you are right there, breathing the pure air and witnessing the amazing sunsets. If you are like me, you will feel a strong urge to pack up and head toward the desert after reading this "motorized novel." The superb writing in this story will really make you think, possibly reevaluate, and definitely smile.

This volume is a nice way to start getting interested in Native American rock symbols that can be found in the southwest. It's a convenient size for hiking trips, or just to carry around if you live in the region. But it's also small enough to lose in a pile of matches. It's slightly informative, you must remember that not a lot is actually known about the meaning of the rock symbols, and this volume is not the defining one when it comes to the intricacies of reading rock symbols. It is enough to get the basics down. There are better works out there for the serious enthusiast, but if you're just trying to enjoy a vacation more, then yeah, get this and throw it in your pocket.

This is an easy to digest beginners book on rock art of the Four Corners States (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah). It is small enough to tuck in a backpack or jacket pocket to take along on your hike. The illustrations of the petroglyphs are bold and clear. Between the well written background information and the wonderful drawings this little 32 page book is a must for anyone who wants to begin to gain insight on the rock symbols that the ancient peoples have left behind.

This book needs some help. I am a big Family Fun Fan, and take the mag. and have all their books and was so excited to find that they had finally put a travel book together.
I loved the begining part about ways to travel with kids, all their tips and side notes. I liked that I could find kid friendly hotels and resturaunts.
But I was so dissapointed that alot of the states that I would be traveling in the book only talked about a few areas in that state. California should of had been one book and talked about northern and southern Calif., not just a few citties.
Family Fun has always had out of the way and unusal places to travel in their mag. why didn't they do this for their travel book.
If you are looking to see places all over the southwest in this book, you might be dissapointed like me.

I loved the book (we got the southeast one). It covers all of the southeast, not just FL and the big mouse! We live in GA so this book is awesome for us as we are central to all of the states it covers. If you are only buying one book, this should be it!! It rates must do's, costs, ages and also includes hotels and local eateries which most travel guides don't. I was very impressed. The above reviewer is reviewing the CA book so don't ket her review persuade you not to buy. You will not be disapointed!

This biography truly reveals the man behind the myth. Geronimo has had a reputation as either a bloodthirsty, pitiless scalp hunter (the conservative view), or as a divinely-guided leader trying desperately to save his people from destruction (the romantic view). Both of these are partially correct, but neither gives any indication of Geronimo as a human being, and that's what Debo does ably in this book. Debo compiles all the information available to give an impressively detailed portrait of the man's life, and uncovers many aspects of his personality, both good and bad. So we get the predicted praise for his bravery and honesty; but the author is not afraid to criticize his ill temper, vindictiveness, and lack of eloquence.

While the focus remains on Geronimo himself, this book also serves as an informative history of the final days of Apache independence. Many interesting characters are covered in a good amount of detail when Geronimo is absent from the narrative, like Victorio, Loco, Chihuahua, Kaywaykla, Naiche (my personal favorite) and even the white generals Crook and Howard. There is ample coverage of the tribe's post-glory days when they were imprisoned on various disagreeable reservations, and the depressing consequences of the loss of their culture and the deaths of many tribe members from disease. The only flaws in this book are Debo's criticism of previous information sources as inaccurate (they were, but the author's criticism is often arrogant), and a rather sappy, overly sentimental writing style.

Ms. Debo has presented a complete analysis of the man Geronimo, from both sides of the Apache conflict. She deals with the prejedice of the day as well as the myths and legends of the time. I was well informed by her conclusions and believe the concepts she presented were both truthful and informative.