The cover of this book says "How to identify helpful, harmful, and venomous insects" but only about half of the insects in the book have an illustration. Many of the insects are common species that most folks can already identify from experience (house flies, mosquitos, fleas, centipedes, millipedes, house crickets, etc.) It may be useful for children, but as I mentioned, there are limited illustrations (and they are not in color). If you are looking for something along the lines of a key to identifying insects, this book will not help you.

the book is just what i wanted......information was a little short, but covered the basics. the only thing that could have made it better would be to have had actual pictures of the real species. it wasn't disappointing at all!

This is a nice book to own if you live in the southwestern deserts. The next time a strange creepy-crawler dashed across your kitchen floor you'll be able to find out what it is and determine if it's dangerous. The illustrations in the book are well done. The text tells you a lot about each insect but does not bore you with information that only an entomologist would care about. In short, its a nice reference to have around the house if you want to learn more about the 6 and 8 legged creatures of the region.

With this book, author Leblanc allies himself with Christy Turner, both who appear to be fixated on their belief that Native Americans of the southwest were cannibals. Turner is notorious for shaping evidence to fit his narrow interpretation for cannibalism in the southwest. Leblanc appears to be following in the same narrow sphere of opinionated and inflamatory analysis of partial facts in order to make his case.

For example, Leblanc illustrates a group of atifacts he calls "swords" (105), although we do not know that what these are. There are people who know what these things are and what they mean. Why don't we hear their voices here?

Chapter Two, entitled "Evidence for Warfare" cites an excerpt of the story "The Destruction of Awatovi" (44), as written by Malotki (1993), suggesting to the reader that the fall of Awatovi was an act of war. Actually, Awatovi's destruction is a much more complex story, and was not an act of war but one of resistence and survival.

Leblanc claims that "warfare is a subject we would all like to ignore", although evidence is clearly to the contrary. History is an accounting of wars. Today's political manuvers use war as a mechanism to foster capitalism, trade, and world commerce.

There are other evidentiary problems in the text. A strong editor could have helped with these difficulties.

This book is absolutely fabulous! The author has done a good job of providing a read that is both very informative, but not at all a "dry read" so to speak. I found this book enjoyable, as a matter of fact.

Also, i'm about to enter college as an anthropology major, and i am interested in pursuing a topic simular to the the subject of this book (it will be something dealing with warfare in the southwest, that's for certain) as a thesis, so no doubt this book will help me with that as well when the time comes for that.

This book is one of a triad published almost simultaneously by three different professionals assaulting traditional assumptions about the prehistory of the Southwest. Each of these works is formidable and collectively they will probably result in a paradigm shift in the interpretation of the nature of prehistoric society in the region. The other two works are Man Corn by Christy Turner, and The Chaco Meridian by Stephen Lekson. LeBlanc's work will jolt those comfortable with past versions of southwestern prehistory characterized by peaceful farmers living in harmony with one another and nature. LeBlanc offers a history, typology, and context for violence in the prehistoric Southwest. He devotes much space on a period of unusual warmth and moisture in the Southwest, 900 to 1200 AD. This era was dominated by a political center in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. The Chacoans may have dominated as much as fifty thousand square miles of the Southwest at this time. Chaco's political/military structure may justify calling it a regional variant of a Mesoamerican statelet.

For Chacoan times, LeBlanc feels there is much evidence of cannibalism, but very little of actual warfare. This is explained by the likelihood that those bold enough to defy the Lords of Chaco were exterminated and cannibalized. Cannibalism was an instrument of policy to terrorize potential rebels and ensure Chaco's dominion. Benign climate and enforced peace created a population explosion. The party ended when a series of droughts undermined the agricultural base. By the late 1200's the Southwest entered a prolonged period of unusual cold and drought. The societal response was the disintegration of the Pax Chaco and a bloody free-for-all in competition for fewer arable acres. Small villages had too few warriors to defend them and were abandoned. Many show evidence of a violent end.

To survive in such an age, it was necessary to gather into large villages that could close out or fight off marauders. With less rain and more frosts, many Anasazi were killed by others wanting their land or their stored food. Others starved. Evidence for violence and warfare is common in this age from 1275 to 1400. By the end of this age the Anasazi are living in four regional groupings occupying in large, fortresslike Pueblos. Groups of villages are linked by political and military alliances. The empty lands separate the four great clusters the Spanish called "Despoblados".

In his review of violence, cannibalism, and warfare, LeBlanc almost inadvertently answers one of the great questions in southwestern archaeology, why was the Colorado plateau largely abandoned by the Anasazi after 1300. His answer is that many did not leave, but rather died in situ from starvation and warfare. Others crowded into ever larger, distant settlements in search of the security of numbers.

I found this LeBlanc's arguments tightly reasoned and backed by a studious, often innovative, review of the archaeological record. The result is a believable reworking of the history of the Southwest. This book will be distasteful to many Native Americans, New Agers, and anthropologists who have invested careers in portraying the Anasazi as exempt from the evil and violence that characterize mankind in other times and places. LeBlanc, Turner, and Lekson are spearheading a radical transformation in how the educated public interprets the prehistory of the Southwest. The currently dominant "beau model" of peaceful farmers, directed by wise elders living in harmony and balance is another manifestation of the noble savage fantasy that has beguiled the West for centuries now.

History and archaeology have much to tell us about human nature and how to understand and resolve the problems confronting us as a species. For this information to be of any help to us in our current struggle, our perceptions of our past must be as accurate as possible. In my assessment, these three authors are bringing the experience of mankind in the Southwest into a focus that seems more realistic and human than what has previously been offered to the literate public.

I quit reading the book right after the authors state that "Geronimo was never captured, unless he let himself be because hewanted a good meal..." This is highly insulting to Native Americans everywhere, and completely in error. For an Apache, being held captive was absolutely the worst form of torture imaginable (see "Once We Moved Like the Wind). Geronimo died in an 8X10 cell at Fort Sill, Oklahoma after being held prisoner for about 20 years. I was so incenced that I threw the book away.

This book is really fascinating. I was thinking about getting another book on the history of New Mexico but I wasn't quite sure about it. The sales clerk at a bookstore in Sante Fe recommended that I get this one.I didn't even see it until she pointed it out to me. Boy, am I glad she did!
Once I started looking at it at the bookstore I found it so interesting that I could literally not stop reading it.I guess that was a good sign that I should buy it.
My boyfriend and I have never been to New Mexico- and as we drove through little towns along the way I opened up the book and read about the history behind each town. It was very informative and helpful.
It has great black and white photos and neat drawings that depict the historical events in a fascinating fashion.
Every town is mentioned- even tiny ones that no one has ever heard of such as: Wagon Mound, Maxwell, Embudo, Watrous, Valmora, Tatum, Dora, Lingo, White Rock, etc....
It mentions Los Alomos and the Manhattan Project, Taos, Albuquerque, etc...
This book gives a history of each town, how and when it was founded, by whom, and in some cases how the town got its name.
I highly recommend this book. You won't be disappointed.

This book guides the traveler/reader to interesting places in New Mexico that are also historic. It is set up so that someone driving along a road can read about the various towns and sites along that road. It is a great book that I found very useful to read and use.

Ginger

I am just guiding some readers who might NOT be able to decide.

MANY people believe that INDIAN automatically means "INDIA". Can their visual/mental senses differentiate between INDIAN and RED INDIAN?

There is nothing really magical about INDIA - even the ROPE TRICK doesn't work in a populace of OVER A BILLION!

Cheer up folks! THINK FIRST - and then - GET DEEPER INTO YOUR SEARCH!!..

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, columnist and reviewer for MyShelf and author of This is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered

Here they are!
Five guidebooks,all part of a series, that look and feel more like art books.

Five guidebooks so closely related that they become a library or set suitable to give as a gift to anyone who lives in, travels in or just loves the Southwest.

Published by Rio Nuevo Publishers, an imprint of Treasure Chest Books, these slender paperbacks have a different polish than most guidebooks, both outside and in. The covers have a satin-finish feel. The pictures in each are full color and so well done you may feel less tempted to buy a piece of art in any one of these categories'or more tempted as the case may be. There are diagrams and maps in full color and other information like histories for the artists, the genealogy of related artists, etc. Anything that will help a reader/art lover to understand the subject better. Bibliographies, indexes, suggested readings and pronunciation guides are also included as needed.

Mostly, these are helpful well-written guides by knowledgeable authors like Kent McManis, Mark Bahti, and Robert Jeffries. You'll find them on Amazon and other sites that sell books under their separate titles and here they are:

A Guide to Zuni Fetishes and Carvings, both Volume I and Volume II
A Guide to Hopi Katsina Dolls
A Guide to Navaho Weavings
A Guide to Navaho Sandpaintings


(Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards.
Her newly released Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remember has won three.)

A great overview of fetishes, charms, and amulets made by Southwest Indian tribes. I like the mix of stories from Indian's folklore and the power from the fetish would provide to user. Now my collection of fetishes have now taken more meaning and understandings from Indian point of view. Also there is notes about material used in making the fetish. Why the color plays great role in fetish. Great reading and must reading if you collect fetishes from Southwest.

I had to read this book for my intro to Anthropology class in college. I thought that was ok for additional anthropology reading, but I would never read this book for fun. It's the story of a Navajo from his childhood to adulthood and all of the experience and things you must go through when living in a culture that moves around a lot. It was interesting in the fact that while studying various cultures, it was an autobiography of what another culture was actually like and how in Left Handed's culture, everyone is related. It a good book for understanding other cultures, especially for a class like anthropology.

This text has some very interesting (and vivid) sexual accounts, also marriage practices, family relations, etc. It's a quite interesting life story and a funny sidenote: there are obvious places where the ... author edited the Dine' autobiographer's language because it might be perceived by some as derrogatory. Overall, I like this account very much!! ...

This little book is no page turner, but if you're interested in diary writing or if you're an armchair archaeologist (like myself) you'll get a kick out of it.

The writer of the letters actually spent a number of years living on what is now the Wupatki grounds, just north of Flagstaff, AZ. Wupatki is a great place to visit--it's an amazing scattering of those magical stone dwellings left by some of the original inhabitants of the southwest.

She is a somewhat naive writer...and that is both the charm and the downfall of this little book. You can get a lot through her, that you might be filtered out by a more experienced writer. On the other hand, there is much of the mundane in these letters. This is somewhat mitigated by the situation in which the mundane occurs.

Read it to learn more about the inhabitants of the grounds, read it to learn a bit about our governmental custodianship of the land and read it to learn a little about life during wartimes. Just don't expect Garcia Marquez.

After a recent visit to the 800 year old Wupatki ruins in Northern Arizona, I was fascinated to find that modern man had actually lived there in the 30's and 40's. This book recounts life at the ruins of the ranger in charge and his new bride. Letters written by Courtney to her family and friends reveal a simple and exciting life in Arizona, while living in two rooms of an actual Sinagua ruin. This book would probably be especially fascinating to those who live in Arizona or visit frequently.

It was a good book about an overview of Maldives but did not focus much on the interior travel within Maldives and getting around its myriad of islands

There are four main tour books for the Maldives, and this one is a good place to start. (Another good one is the Michelin guide.) This book gives a general overview of the islands and many of the resorts. Divers will want the Divers' Guide to the Maldives to fill out the information here.

The book gives a good overview of the areas with many addresses. Anyhow I found it a bit too black and white. It gives useful maps, but no coloured pictures from the areas, which would make it a bit more pleasant to read.

I highly recommend this guide to anyone who will be traveling in the Northeast as well as Canada. This guide gives you everything from upcoming events for the year to where to stay & eat. The maps are easy to read and follow. I have been a reader of the Mobil Guide for many years and it is continuing to give the most accurate, up-to-date travel information. This is the MUST-HAVE for the Northeast traveler.

This is a very technical book on the subject of Navajo weaving, weaving techniques, and Southwest Indian History. It is written in a very formal, and in my opinion, dated style. The language is somewhat obtuse; many more words are used to share information than are required. All photos are black and white, probably because most came from very old, unrestored photos; as such,they are also of poor quality. Most picture captions are described as "plates", a very dated publishing practice. All of the above observations are why I say that it is perhaps most appropriate to a masters or doctoral student on indian or textile history and technique.

Since this book was on a recommended reading list on the web I am certain there is valuable information in this book for highly dedicated weaving enthusiasts. For instance, the book may go into detail about plants used for dying wool, even giving illustrations of those plants.

For the casual or intermediate weaver, however, I would recommend saving your money. This is the first book I ever sent back to Amazon. I couldn't even think of anyone to give it to. Not even a school teacher I know who loves SW Indian history. That is how dull I found it.

Originally published in 1934, Amsden is considered the basic foundational text by authors writing on the history of Navajo blankets and rugs. While much new and helpful information has been written on Navajo weaving since then, most of these books used Amsden as original source material for much of their information. Pre-1940 Navajo blankets and rugs are among the most collectible artifacts in both the investment and art worlds today. Most all serious Indian art collectors, Native American Indian museum curators and related authors and academics will have a copy of this seminal work in their libraries.

Other recommendations: (1)Photos of antique blankets : "Navajo Textiles" The William Randolph Hearst Collection" by Nancy Blomberg; and (2)"Navajo Weaving Tradition" by Kaufman and Selser is one of the few "in print" books with and overview of the history of Navajo weaving. There is always a need for many more books in this area as so many titles are short run or specialty press issues. (Periodicals: (3) American Indian Art magazine with offices in Scottsdale, AZ publishes a quarterly and often features articles on early weavings.)

(Regarding other critiques of this book ; this is much more a book for collectors and investors and those interested in identifying and understanding the history and development of Navajo weavings and is not a "how to" book for those wishing to "learn to weave". Hobbyist shops have plenty of the latter available.)

The second in the series, Living Voices of the Past, of diaries of the 1800s is the memoir of Martha Dunham Summerhayes' adventures of an Army wife as she follows her husband from post to post.

Born and educated in New England, Martha (Mattie) is a well-traveled young lady, having spent time in Europe, most notably Germany. The tales of her life begin with her marriage to Jack Summerhayes in 1874. She follows him to the Wyoming Territory and Fort Russell where she learns that Army wives don't have nurse, cooks, and maids. She is totally on her own and makes due with what she can. She learns to put up with sand storms, scorpions, wild coyotes stealing their food, Indians, Mexicans, and the Army protocol.

Mattie is a woman who is not used to hardship, but as the memoir is told from the early 20th century, the hardships and reality checks she faces do not seem so difficult as they must have been when she was enduring them.

Mattie follows Jack to more than ten posts during his 30-year career. Along the way she has two children, Harry and Katherine, but Mattie seems more concerned with her own comfort and illnesses along the way than she does about her babies. Most of the time she refers to Harry as her son, and it is a good hour and a half before listeners learn his name.

Jane Merrifield-Beecher is the voice of Mattie. She reads Mattie's memories so fast, that they are often difficult to decipher. Mattie's memories are rather superficial and while listeners learn about life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the adventure is more like a bad "B" movie than a real-life account of an Army wife.

This type of narrative is a relative rarity in the history of the American border, and Arizona in particular. This is not only a woman's perspective but the views and memories of an army wife. The only comparable books that come to mind are the trilogy of Cavalry life by Libbie Custer. Mrs. Custer's books are more polished but more suspect as the information is filtered by her desire to glorify her husband. Mrs. Summerhayes account does not have this weakness and she is more concerned with how the events affect her children and herself. Her description of the Arizona landscape and conditions of Army life stays with you. In particular the sequence in which she is being transported through hostile territory when she is possibly in more danger from her husband than the Indians. This book adds much to the history of the Southwest and is justifiably considered a classic.

This is the story of a Nantucket woman who marries a cavalry officer and moves with him to various Army forts in the late 19th century. A very personal story of Army life in Indian country, raising children in very trying conditions, a travelog and adventure story. The tales of getting back and forth between Nantucket and Arizona is worth the reading alone.