With their fourth cookbook, the Denver Junior League has gone off the deep end. I own and use regularly their first three books, so it was natural for me to buy this one as soon as it came out. Alas! They've lost touch with their audience. There are too many recipes with ingredients difficult to find outside of large urban areas. And why so much focus on seafood from a group in the Rockies? Seems as if the good ladies are trying too hard to identify with the San Francisco "nouvelle" cooking crowd. This book is going into my rummage sale box.

COLORADO COLORE:
A Palate of Tastes

An inspiring collection from
The Junior League of
Denver

This colorful cookbook is an inspired collection of recipes, menus and entertaining tips from The Junior League of Denver. The entire League has a long history of showcasing local foods in recipes they test vigorously.

Compiled to compliment the "dazzling magnificence of our colorful state," Colorado Calore delivers a savory enhancement to the state's fiery Colorado sunsets -- to its magnificent Rocky Mountains. Over 2,500 recipes were considered before focusing on the book's 300 surviving recipes. From chile peppers to sugar beets, wheat to beef, these recipes represent the vast agricultural abundance that is Colorado. Below is a short description of only a few recipes in the book:

§ Figs with Prosciutto blend with crème fraiche and mint to become a tasty appetizer.

§ Papaya Salsa with peppers, onion, lime, cilantro pineapple juice and tequila make Won Ton Chips sizzle.

§ Mediterranean Salsa with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, black olives, onion, garlic and savory seasonings

§ Indian Waldorf Salad of Granny Smiths, celery, onion, lime juice, almonds, and curry powder.

§ Baked Goat Cheese rolled in flour, dipped in beaten egg and dredged in bread crumbs.

§ Spinach and Berries Salad with dill, plus almonds, butterhead lettuce, green onions strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

§ Parmesan Sesame Biscuits made with buttermilk and cayenne pepper

§ Strawberry Patch Soup made with sour cream, whipping cream, burgundy, seltzer water and mint leaves

§ Sweet Potato Hash Browns with sweet onion and fresh parsley

§ Roasted Asparagus and Portobello Mushrooms, cooked with the magic of walnut oil, balsamic vinegar and herbes de Provence

§ Tuscan Green Beans, made savory with rosemary and garlic

§ Roasted Red Potatoes with Artichokes, onion, thyme and crumbled feta cheese.

§ Couscous made with parsley, green onions, almonds, currants and green peas.

§ Green (Spanish) Olive Enchiladas complete with onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, semisweet chocolate and Monterey Jack cheese

§ Roasted Turkey Breast with Sage Corn Bread Crust of crumbled sweet cornbread, fresh sage and Dijon mustard

§ Cranberry Salsa Sorbet made from whole cranberry sauce, a jalapeno chili pepper, celantro and fresh lime

§ Pork with Dried Plums includes sherry cooking wine vinegar, garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper and escarole.

§ Roasted Red Pepper Sauce made from bell peppers, roasted red peppers, slivered almonds, red wine vinegar and tomato paste.

§ Mint and Scallion Soba Noodles, a simple dish with rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and mint.

§ Chocolate Valencia Pie made from semisweet chocolate chips, cream cheese, orange zest and whipping cream.

§ Colorado Ranch Cookies are made with brown sugar, rolled oats, dried cranberries, shredded coconut and sliced almonds.

Review written by Marty Martindale

This cookbook is not filled with ingredients that you've never heard of or know you'll never be able to find at your local grocery store. You can not go wrong with cooking any of the meals in Colorado Colore. It is filled with simple recipes that are full of flavor without adding to the ingredients. I highly recommend this cookbook to those intimidated by cooking and to those who love it.

In the book "Dust Bowl: The Southern Plains in the 1930's," Worster examines the reasons for and the ideological background behind the Dust Bowl of the 1930's. The author focuses his discussion around the devastation of the Southern Plains, as he presents his argument about the impact of American culture on both the ecological destruction of the land and the desolation of the people who depended on the land for their livelihood. The body of the work focuses on the multifaceted and sometimes diametrically opposed economic and ethical/ecological interests of the country during the Dust Bowl, which Worster brings into an examination of the pervasive capitalist mentality of early 20th century American culture. The author believes the root of Americans' misuse and destruction of the Southern Plains serves as just another example of irresponsibility in the means to obtain the end desire of capitalistic pursuits.

Donald Worster argues that a close link existed between the Dust Bowl and the capitalist mentality of American society during the early 20th century, as American zeal for wealth and expansion wrought devastating affects on both the land and its people.

In his treatise of the Dust Bowl, Worster focuses on the mindset of American culture both before and during the 1930's. Worster believes that before the Dust Bowl and the years immediately preceding it, the area of the Southern Plains enjoyed relative ecological stability as neither the Indians, nor the primary white farmers following them viewed their environment and land as expendable resources or commodities. However, as the Jeffersonian ideals of agrarian harmony with nature gave way to the destructive and selfish capitalist ideology, the Southern Plains became the victim of economic ambition. Subsistence farming no longer existed in the Southern Plains at the time of the Dust Bowl. Rather, Worster describes an area dominated by massive amounts of machinery, fewer farm laborers, and a construct known as the factory farm based on city assembly lines, business principles, and exploitative ends. As the ill-effects of factory farming came together with a period of significant drought, the resulting dust storms generated not only a environmentally destructive force, but also became a symbol of the filth and disparity of the capitalistic pursuits of American society, a symbol that would leave Americans searching for both a solution and a way to prevent such an incident from occurring again.

Worster describes the delicate ecological reality of the Southern Plains in great detail as he presents the scientific basis necessary to further support his claim of unhindered misuse of the lands by American commercial farming. The author presents the Southern Plains as an untainted grassland community, which remained largely in tact due before the period of great settlement and farming in the area. Worster shows that the commercial farming techniques during the early 20th century stripped the land of not only its productiveness, but also its ability to achieve an organic equilibrium in nature. Due to both governmental and personal economic motivations, American farmers felt compelled to plow, plant, and exploit every free tract across the Southern Plains, a trend only intensified by the importance placed on the American farmer during the period immediately following the onset on the Great Depression. Due to the impeding pressures of capitalism, the plowing of the majority of the land and focusing on planting and increasing production of only a select few cash crops resulted in a great loss in biodiversity in the ecosystem of the Southern Plains. This ecological imbalance would reap widespread devastation in the manifestation of not only the dust storms of the period, but also in the displacement of many who depended upon the land for their livelihood.

In the midst of the Dust Bowl, Worster presents the popularly held and supported proposals for solutions to the problem facing the Southern Plains. Worster provides examples such as the formation of the National Land Use Planning Committee and the conservatism of Roosevelt's New Deal to show the government's efforts to offset the devastation of the Dust Bowl and preventing the recurrence of another such disaster in the future. The author shows that, though the ideas of such prevention and regulation constituted seemingly positive ventures, these strategies proved relatively ineffective in drastically changing farming practice or preventing another such event to occur in the future. Worster presents historical information that exemplifies the attitudes associated with the expansionary, free enterprise oriented, capitalistic American culture, which actively participated in the destruction and exploitation of nature to satiate its ever-growing greed.

In Dust Bowl, Worster presents a well-developed and clear argument for his advocacy of American culture's inseparable tie to capitalism and its affect in the ecological devastation of the Southern Plains. The book not only contains a great deal of specific information, but also artfully ties the Dust Bowl into many underlying themes present in early 20th century America. The book supplements one's understanding of the time periods both before and after the Great Depression and provides insight into the affects of the nation's fallen economy on rural America.

As most persons are aware, these are times of climatic change, with the West becoming warmer and drier. These changes are episodic, but mankind's response to them is not so predictable. Professor Worster's excellent coverage of the Dust Bowl, one of the greatest agricultural and ecological calamities in history, shows that, with a little foresight and honest recognition of the limitations of technology, much of the harm caused by shifting climate can be prevented. In that respect, it is a hopeful text.

Professor Worster, however, views history from a Marxist standpoint, a trait that colors some of his conclusions. While I agree with him that land is frequently viewed by the shortsighted as a commodity to be used and discarded, I feel that the lessons of the Dust Bowl have resulted in safer, drought-resistant patterns of crop farming. However, as Worster adroitly points out, the shifting in agricultural practices in the Southern plains is accompanied by a wasteful use of available underground water, raising a peril of the Dust Bowl's return. So have we really learned anything? Time will tell, and not very long from now.

So far as Professor Worster addresses the socio-economic causes of the reckless destruction of the short-grass prairie ecosystem for quick profit, his discussion is masterful His organization of topics and chronology is excellent, and the reader will not soon forget the horror of living with the dust. The photos of dust storms and their effect are almost nightmarish.

Regardless of one's irritation at the myopia of those who try to farm mrginal land, his is a sympathetic portrait as well, waxing almost lyrical in his discussions of the effects of crop failures on the local populace. The book is copiously reserched and peopled with personal anecdotes of those who lived through the "Dirty Thirties". This narrative includes not only the local citizenry, but contains numerous passages about governmental attempts to allay the crisis.

I recommend this book very highly. I think anyone who likes history, who is concerned about the effects of climatic change, or both, ought to read this book very carefully. It should be an essential part of anyone's library.

In Dust Bowl, Donald Worster masterfully transports the reader to a time when the land seemed to rise up in protest against those who would try to dominate it. The author points out in the introduction that the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression took place at the same time, and that both events "revealed fundamental weaknesses in the traditional culture of America, the one in ecological terms, the other in economic." Worster successfully weaves a revealing tapestry in his monograph that supports his argument, by presenting capitalistic values and motives as the human element involved in the Great Depression's "Dust Bowl Days." The natural environment caused the winds to blow and the rains to stop, but the farmers of the Great Plains, in an attempt to reap a profit from the land, destroyed the prairie grasses by plowing them under. This left the nutrient-rich topsoil in an exposed position, where intense drying heat and voracious winds could forcefully thrust the sandy granules of soil into the atmosphere.

Dust Bowl is divided into five parts, and the author has a personal interest in the subject and the location of this ecological disaster. The author dedicates this book to his parents, who actually experienced the trauma of leaving the plains for California during the Great Depression. Although the author was born in California, he spent his childhood living on the Great Plains and considers himself "a native son." The first part of the book provides insight into what a dust storm was like, and how this severe wind erosion effected the land, the people, and the nation in general. Part two gives the reader a sense of place, by explaining the chronological physical history of the Great Plains from prehistoric times to the mechanized wheat farming of the early twentieth century. In part three, Worster concentrates his study toward Cimarron County in the Oklahoma panhandle during the "dirty thirties," by describing people's experiences, government programs, and quotes from historical documents. Moving north to Haskell County, Kansas, Worster scrutinizes this region by interpreting economic, political, social, and agricultural trends evidenced by historical data. The final chapters of the book relate the history of the agricultural conservation movement in the United States, describe the delicate balance between all living things in an ecosystem, and illustrate why the "filthy fifties" took place and how other agricultural disasters may appear in the future.

While some may disagree with Worster's attack on capitalistic values and label his perspective as politically biased, one cannot refute the hard, cold, documented evidence of how economics dominated agriculture and caused the catastrophic disaster of the Dust Bowl. Without considering a history of drought in the area, the farmer used the tractor and plow to cut deep into the soil in order to turn the Great Plains into a giant "wheat factory." The standard of living in the United States was rising quickly, but in order for people to acquire such luxuries as indoor plumbing, they needed currency. With the hope of obtaining more material possessions during the 1920s, bankers bought stocks on margin, and farmers plowed up more and more natural grasses. The wheat fields were considered an investment, and large corporations started to buy enormous expanses of land. The profit margin involved with mechanized farming allowed one person to alter more land area than had ever been possible in the past. This gave people a feeling of complete sovereignty over nature or "human autonomy." As Worster advises, "The attitude of capitalism-industrial and pre-industrial-toward the earth was imperial and commercial; none of its ruling values taught environmental humility, reverence, or restraint" (97).

In order to survive, a society must be able to adapt. Worster's Dust Bowl is an enlightening study, which not only informs the reader of past exploitation, but also challenges the reader with current socio-economic environmental responsibility. After reading the book, one wonders-Can the capitalistic system and a healthy worldwide environment survive the twenty-first century together?

Marilyn Glaser, Student
Great Basin College

great book osker. i love short stories. you have been to many places in this world, how about a book full of true stories? or maybe steph and noel could write a booke about you. iv'e heard about some of your pranks, such as when you were looking for a cofin for your horse. too funny.

good luck to you.

stephanie's sister,

renie

Flannery O'Connor and Oscar Casares have more in common than being great artists. Both of them came through the prestigious Iowa Writer's Workshop. Both of them would be labeled regional writers. Flannery's characters inhabit the white southern Bible belt. Oscar's people, Anglos and Mexicans alike, live in the city of Brownsville, Texas, on the border, Oscar's home town.

Their resemblance to each other continues all the way through to the fact that I read their stories over and over and see something new and wonderful every time I do.

In his "Acknowledgements," Mr. Casares says, "And Cristal showed me the good that comes from love and patience." And Oscar, in his stories, shows us the good that comes from love and patience.

Love and patience are what Flannery O'Connor shows us. In her case, the love and patience comes always from God. Grace is everywhere in her stories and so, too, is grace everywhere in "Brownsville." What Richard Giannone says of Flannery O'Connor can also be said of Casares: "The yearning for ultimate meaning always runs beneath the surface, erupting in ways unbelievers do not or cannot acknowledge."

Of course neither of these authors preach about grace. They invent authentic characters and sit back and watch. We watch with them. And listen with them. Both have uncanny ears for dialogue and the sharpest eyes around for the telling detail.

In one story, "Mrs. Perez," "[the new bride on her honeymoon in the photo] wore the nervous smile of a young woman who has just realized that she's boarded the wrong train."

His stories take us to a fireworks stand just outside Brownsville, the front yards of an Anglo and a Mexican-American across from each other, a bridge over a Brownsville resaca where "letting go" takes on several different meanings, a back yard on a dark night where an old man from "the other side" confronts one tall tree after another, noisy carnival rides past a boy's bedtime, the sneaky burial of a dog, the homecoming of a young husband full of beer, the warm bed of a yearning adolescent with Dallas Cowboy pillows and covers, and in the last story, believe it or not, a black bowling ball speeding down the aisle of a Jiffy-Mart.

In each story he affirms the pull of divine grace. Without Flannery O'Connor I might not have spotted this, but I still would have enjoyed the stories. Enjoying his stories, I am sure, was Mr. Caceres' intention, but I wouldn't put it past him to have the same vision as Flannery O'Connor's.

I can hardly wait for his next book.

Latino life in the small Texas border city of Brownsville comes alive in this entirely engaging debut collection of nine short stories arranged in three parts. The first three stories are grouped in the section "I Thought You and Me Were Friends", and focus on male relationships. The opening tale tells of a young boy working at a firework stand and his realization that his boss isn't a nice person. The second is about a man overly obsessed with a hammer borrowed by a white neighbor, and charts the ups and downs of their friendship in relation to the hammer. The final story follows a young slacker whose best (and only) friend recently died and left him without human anyone to talk to. This last one takes a slightly (David) Lynchian turn, and isn't quite as strong as the first two.

The second part, "They Say He Was Lost", is about essentially good men struggling with life. The first story is one of the weaker ones, about an old gardener who has lost his religion. The details of his living and work conditions are far more interesting than his spiritual predicament. Next is a brilliant portrait of a man in his early 20s who married, divorced, and had a kid too young, and doesn't really understand his ex-wife, his child, what happened to his youth, and what's happening to his future. It's a heartbreaking story that shoots to the core of single-family parenting and the other parent. The third tale is of a hardworking state employee who is driven to desperate acts by a neighbor's dog. The final three stories, "Don't Believe Anything He Tells You", veer into a more odd turf. The first deals with a man whose sly cousin hustles him into prepaying for his funeral. The second is a rather garden-variety young boy/beautiful next door neighbor piece. The third is a bit of a comic turn about a geriatric bowling (the only female protagonist in the book) whose lucky bowling ball gets stolen.

The collection is somewhat reminiscent of John McNally's 1999 collection, Troublemakers. Both sets of stories are primarily about working-class men living in marginalized communities between the coasts, trying to hold their own as their communities shift around them. As such, they are more directly relevant to majority of people in this country than the plethora of tiresome New York, San Francisco, historical, or academe-set novels that seem to dominate the bookstores. Casares doesn't seek to shove any messages or agenda in the reader's face, he's simply writing about people and how they live where he comes from. Great stuff.

I agree with the reviewer from DC. Sure, Don's work has some literary worth -- funny is what seems to be the most common accolade, as if he were Jay Leno -- and his biographer's compilation of photos and thoughts and memories may prove useful to those students of his early years. However, those who step back and analyze Helen's work from an unbiased perspective does see something Gatsbyesque in Helen's illusions of Don, the Houston scene, and how poor Don turned out. Broke and unrecognized and suffering fools. I also agree that Helen has more talent than Don ever did; she just didn't have someone to nurture and encourage her like Don did. It may be a generational thing where the men were the writers and the women the inspiration. Yeah, I guess I have to admit, maybe it is a Scott and Zelda thing too. I like the DC review very much as it shows some skill with literature and language, and was thought provoking. I bought the book because of it, even though some didn't find it helpful. What's helpful? It sold one more copy.

My personnal recommendations showed I would like Kay Graham's Personal History and this. Yes, I did enjoy Mrs. Graham's as she lived a life long after Phil rejected, , betrayed and left her (in his own way!!) But this one is really more about a woman that didn't let go, or build much of a life for herself except with members of his family and her own sisters and maybe a few Texas English profs who could remember him. I think it is sad. Maybe I will use it for my cockerspaniel. Ha. Seriously, I enjoy reading astute reviews and this is the first I've ever responded to because the reviewer seemed to have a college education and know about aliteration and Fitzgerald and Faulkner and see the irony in poor Donald's biography. It is good that his early life is memorialized, as some day someone may want to write a dissertation about him. It will come in handy, just as Nancy Milford found value in Zelda's early life. It's always good to record history. However, this is no Kay Graham book. Indeed, as lovely and loving a person as Helen is, she is no Caro -- but then Donald was no LBJ either. Anyway, its always fun to read the reviews. Some are quite intelligent, even astute and scholarly in tone, while others are just sophmoric lovefests.

This is not just a happy gloss on Barthelme's early adulthood, it is an intricate, detailed rendering of a time and place--Houston in the late 50s and early 60s. It's a story full of touching romance, heartbreak, anger, sadness, and loss. The characters here seem real and troubled, and their lives are messy, complex, derailed as often as not. Is there a clue to Barthelme's genius here? Well, sure. He was witty and ambitious and very damn clever. Funny, he was funny. His life seems to have been not quite so charmed as his work. This is a vivid portrait, complete with parts of Barthelme's life that may not have been so savory, and it humanizes this man whose work is always at pains to present only the carefully polished surface. An excellent introduction to the artist, his milieu, and his work. Ms. Moore-Barthelme writes with assurance and grace, and is always generous and forthright.

I must say Mr. Hillerman knows his Navajo culture. Some very fascinating stuff. The plot was OK, though at times I felt it strayed a bit. It did come back in the second half of the book, which contained the most drama in the story as archeologist Bergen McKee is thrust into a life or death confrontation with the main villian.

If you're already a Hillerman fan, you already know this is where it all started and you don't need me to tell you how good it is.

However, if you're approaching the technically-white but 'adopted'-Navajo master storyteller for the first time, and want to know where to begin, this is the place!

You will learn more authentic information about the Navajo culture from Hillerman than from all the academic types who have ever written on the subject. Not to mention Southwest Geography and Climate, along with the uncomfortable relationship between the Navajo tribal police and other law-enforcement agencies in the area.

From the creepy opening chapter, to the introduction of the great tribal policeman, Leaphorn, to the satisfying resolution of the mystery, there is no better way to meet Hillerman than in the book that started it all. Here are Arizona and New Mexico as you've always imagined them, complete with tourist-guide detail about places you'll HAVE to go visit after you read this. [The books really do make great travel guides, once you figure out where the locales are by consulting a good map.]

The *only* quibble anyone could have with this book is the Title, which is NOT Hillerman's own-- it was imposed on him by his publisher and has nothing to do with the story. Other than that, the book is perfect.

Tony Hillerman's The Blessing Way is much more than a mystery - it is a book that allows a close up look at the Navajo and the southwest. The mystery is great and holds the readers interest, but the reader is also taken to a place of enchantment, where one can almost feel the wind and see the beautiful, but barren, landscape. Hillerman is a master of creating characters that seem absolutely lifelike in their mannerisms, approach, and emotions. The culture is presented in a unique, passionate way, that teaches the reader and places a yearning to know more about the Navajo.

I would warn the perspective reader of one thing - if this is your first Hillerman book, be prepared to purchase others. The Hillerman mysteries will grab a hold of you and not let go!

A plane crashes in the desert; a nearby windmill is repeatedly destroyed; a body is found with fingprints removed; and a pawn shop is burglarized. Jim Chee, Navajo policeman, is on the scene. The DEA suspect him of being an accomplice in the drug plane. The windmill may be a Hopi problem and as far as the Hopis are concerned, Jim might as well be a white man. As is the case with the rest of this series, Chee solves the crimes with a mix of old fashioned police work and noticing when things supposedly done by Navajos aren't quite in keeping with Navajo culture.

I listened to the unabridged tapes and found this a very entertaining read. The mystery may be a bit slow to unravel but that's because Hillerman takes the time to explore the landscape and culture of the desert southwest. That may not be everyone's interest but I enjoyed it.

For those who try to do things in order, this is the second book featuring Jim Chee (Blessing Way is the first) and the fifth in the Leaphorn/Chee series.

So far, The Dark Wind is the only one of Tony Hillerman's novels to make it to the big screen, and while the movie is good, the book is even better. Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police is up against drug runners and running into too many dead bodies in this murder mystery set on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. Set against the back drop of the land dispute between the Hopi and Navajo, The Dark Wind explores Indian cultures and values as the mystery unfolds. And for the first time in Hillerman's series of Navajo murder mysteries, the reader meets Hopi police officer, Deputy "Cowboy" Dashee, the perfect foil for Jim Chee. This is one of Hillerman's best!

Tony Hillerman wrote another winner in The Dark Wind! The mystery unfolds in an exciting manner that keeps the reader on the edge of his or her seat. Hillerman's excellent descriptions of the southwest places you directly in the beautiful land, and his feel for the cultures of the Hopi and Navajo bring to life the people of this region.

The story brings the reader to the conflicting lives of drug runners, DEA agents, thieves, the practioners of the Hopi religion, and white people living with the Hopi and Navajo. Jim Chee as the main character struggles with these conflicts as he tries to solve concurrent mysterys involving murders and missing drug shipments as well as seemingly petty thefts. Constantly in danger, Chee unravels the connections as he dodges those who would do him harm.

On a personal note - I have been reading the Hillerman mysterys in the order they were written and have enjoyed the development of Hillerman as an author. Each tale becomes more exciting and suspenseful. It is a very fun way to read Hillerman and I would recommend to anyone to read the books in this manner.

I have read just about everything about Billy and the Lincoln County War, and this book is the best, and in my opinion, most accurate portrait of those times. Ms. Fackler's use of dialogue is compelling and real. The characters in this story have never been more alive for this reader, and the author's ability to weave all of the complex elements involved truly puts this work on the level of masterpiece. John Henry Tunstall, Alexander McSween, Susan McSween, James J. Dolan, Pat Garrett, Billy, and even the "minor" characters, are all clearly drawn. A book of this size and scope is usually read over the course of days or weeks, but the flow of action and language the author skillfully constructs kept me riveted to my chair until I finished reading. This is, undeniably, not only a great work of historical fiction, but a great work of fiction. If you enjoy reading a great story told with the utmost skill and passion, you must read this book. And I guarantee, you'll read it more than once. It is that good! Bravo Ms. Fackler!

This is the "Kid" come alive as no one else has ever written it. His world, his lovers, his friends and enemies all walked off the page and filled my imagination as never before. Beautifully written, with a realistic portrait of his times and place, this book will live forever.

Wow! This is the best fiction ever written about Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War. If you want to understand what happened then and how the Kid achieved his fame, this is the book. It's beautifully written. I couldn't put it down.

Rancho La Puerta's food is really good! If you're vegetarian like I am you'll especially appreciate the great recipes! The only thing I didn't like about this cookbook was the lack of photos. It would have been helpful to see photos of the recipes prepared & also nice to have more color photos of beautiful Rancho La Puerta. My family spent our first Thanksgiving at the ranch last year and it was really wonderful!

After reading this book, I thought how nice it must be to stay at the Rancho La Puerta and eat Bill Wavrin's food. I have made several of the recipes and the results were highly successful, although some of the combinations seemed a little odd in print. Mr. Wavrin likes to use lots of ingredients in his cooking, so it helps to have a well-stocked kitchen, but it is worth the effort. His comments in the book show a sensitive approach to vegetarianism and I was struck by his confession that even experience in Mexican and Nouvelle California cuisine did not really prepare him for meatless cooking. If you can't go to a spa, my advice is to pamper yourself for a weekend, with a good workout, a massage from someone you like, some time in the sauna and two days' worth of cooking from recipes in this book, with the best ingredients you can find. The low-fat, low-calorie thing is just a nice bonus.

Although I agree that some of the recipes do suffer from lack of fat and texture, this is a treat just to read. It stresses the importance of fresh ingredients, and uses spices and cheeses to enhance dishes, not overpower them. The philosophy of the spa is carefully presented, and the reader is encouraged--not lectured--to try a new, healthier way of eating and living. A good find.

I am a great fan of Tony Hillerman's, and I think this book is as well-written as his others. The plotting is good, the characters are well-drawn, and the world he creates seems accurate (I'm a former resident of the DC suburbs). My only problem with the book is that, at times, it becomes too cruel. There's not really any unnecessary violence, or excessive gore. But there are some painful moments.

Even so, it's a Hillerman, which means that it has a solid plot and good character development. Not the best place to start reading the series, perhaps. But worth a look if you like Hillerman.

Only recently have I discovered Tony Hillerman's series dealing with Navajo Tribal Police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. Since reading "A Thief In Time", I have been hooked and am working my way through the entire series. The milieu of the Four Corners High Desert is the centerpiece of these novels that pit the clever Navajo cops against a string of drug smugglers, artifact traders, land grabbers, and other assorted no-goods. In each case, a significant aspect of Navajo culture is blended with modern greed and murder. "Talking God" is an excellent example of Hillerman's techniques. In this mystrey, Hillerman has Leaphorn and Chee working on two seemingly unrelated cases. Although the reader knows that these two will eventually merge, it is difficult to imagine the possible relationship. Both cases are baffling to the investigators, and each solution requires pieces from the other. Hillerman's technique of allowing Leaphorn and Chee to come to the conclusion that their cases are interconnected, and then discuss the aspects of each,while filling in the blanks, makes for a satisfying conclusion. In "Talking God" Hillerman uses his standard technique of first person narrative, with chapters alternating between Leaphorn and Chee. But in "Talking God," he adds the presence of Leroy Fleck, a sociopathic stone killer. Fleck's narrative of his involvement in the main storyline, and a very chilling sub-plot concerning his mother, are reminiscent of classic noir narratives. When Leaphorn, Chee, Fleck, and several other principal characters, meet in the conclusion, only fireworks result, producing a predictable yet acceptable climax. This is Hillerman near his best.

Hillerman has carved out his own niche in the American mystery genre, that of the Southwestern Navajo reservation, and it is one I return to again and again with the confidence of receiving pleasure and edification (Hillerman, not an American Indian himself, nevertheless qualifies as a world class expert on the ways and folklore of these people and he renders them beautifully and cogently for his readers). He is no literary mystery novelist on the order of a James Lee Burke or P.D. James or Joseph Hansen, but he is a more than solid storyteller who creates a world unlike that most of us have ever visited. He has his weaknesses - stilted dialogue and often one dimensional characterizations - but they are more than compensated for by Hillerman's uncanny sense of place and pace.

With that said, let me warn you not to start with TALKING GOD if you have never read Hillerman, first of all because he uproots his famed protagonists Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee from their normal bailiwick and transplants them in Washington, D.C., as they attempt to unravel more than one mystery that all seem to lead back to Indian burial rituals and illegally unearthed remains and conflict with foreign governments. It's a good book, solid and compelling for the most part and it features a truly frightening villain, maybe Hillerman's best bad guy up to that point, but we miss the "Res" and the natural mystery of its landscape and the wonderful way Hillerman makes it come alive.

So wait on this one and start with DANCE HALL OF THE DEAD or THE BLESSING WAY. TALKING GOD will come as a later treat once you have properly acquainted yourself with the mystery and magic of Hillerman's peculiar world.

It's hard to look at these beautiful photographs and not read the captions, since the captions take up a whole page opposite the photo. I like both Don and Fred, think they're amusing fellows. I can't imagine why they didn't make the captions more entertaining or enlightening, instead of sophomoric or irrelevant. Who cares that Don went back to the truck for a pack of cigarettes while Fred took a photo? Does this enhance your enjoyment one iota? Bless the Wee One, this is a major disappointment. Almost but not quite worth it for the pictures, you won't want to leave this lying around on the coffee table when your in-laws or children are around. (Or anyone with an ounce of intelligence.) All the shilling in the world won't make this a memorable experience. Pick up another photographer's book and enjoy it more

Let me start out by saying I am an Imus fan and have been listening to his program since the 70's. That being said this book was a mild disappointment. The beautiful pictures of the American Southwest are definitely worth the price of admission. But the comments often get in the way. How many times does the phrase "fat tourists" need to be said in order to make a point?(At least three in this book along with other derogatory mentions.)The text seems to be an afterthought and probably could have been omitted all together. But the picture on page 12 alone makes the rest of it worthwhile.

A co-worker left this in our kitchenette, and I find myself retreating there for a page or two of desert photography and wonderfully bitter and cynical captioning at least a couple times a day. I've never heard Don Imus in his role as a radio personality, but from what I know of him, the captions are distinctly his style (he's got a real "thing" about fat tourists), so maybe not everyone will appreciate or enjoy his style of self expression. But for me, it was great. The best caption I've seen so far is the simple, "We found Madonna's baby in here." You'll have to see the picture to understand. It's unfortunate that this book is out of print; track it down if you can. But in the spirit of Don Imus, don't pay an outlandish amount; he would only mock you for doing so.