New Mexico Books

There are hundreds of books about the southwest. If you can read only one, this is it. If you have any inclination to write you must read this book and listen to the CD.

A terrific book on the meaning of writing & how some writers' go about it. Joy Harjo, Barbara Kingsolver, Edward Abbey, Alberto Rios -- these are writers with depth and some remarkable things to say. Part bio, part political, part inspiration, it's one of those books I've read way more than once.

I actually took classes from Professor Leonard while attending the University of New Mexico. I remember him as a warm and collegial professor who closely observed and cared for those around him. The same man is reflected on the pages of this book, which is filled with vignettes and poems about his experiences as a taxi cab driver. He is a strong writer and a keen observer of humans.

The stories and poems sometimes reflect the portion of Albuquerque that many of us choose to ignore when driving down Central or any of the other major thoroughfares, but the book's underlying theme is optimism. From the prostitute scoring one last fix before heading to rehab who dreams of becoming an accountant to the hopeful country music writer working for a carnival, the characters that inhabit the back of Leonard's cab reflect a very human potential for change. One can tell that some are perhaps lost souls who will never reach their dreams (and perhaps no longer dream). Others we can cheer, and hope that success follows their efforts. Regardless, the poems and stories, which range from humorous to ominously dark, elicited a reaction from me. They made me think and feel, and that is perhaps the greatest compliment I could possibly give any book.

I'm a 20+ year resident of Albuquerque and can recognize the locations Mr. Leonard cites in his book. What I don't recognize are the people, even though they are all around me. This books provides me with a little more understanding of the people and places in Albuquerque that I don't normally see. On top of that, it's a good read!

What a good enjoyable book. This is how archaeologists should try to write most of the times. A book on a little known part of MExico, archaeologically, written in plain english. It provides a great overview of the origins and the rise of Zapotec Civilization until the abandonment of its main site at Monte Alban ca 700 AD. It also provides a refreshing new approach called actin theory, viewing history as determined by the actions of real people, not untangible forces of the environment or society. Classic.

I really, really, really liked this book. If I could have given it 6 stars I probably would have! The authors of Zapotec Civilization have covered the field nicely for this small segment of the perhistoric Middle American world and have set it clearly amidst the other contemporary cultures of the region, most notably that at Teotihuacan. Kent Flannery is one of THE names in the field of Middle American anthropology and archaeology and the quality of the volume shows why. I am less knowledgeable about Ms Marcus, although the vita provided by the book itself suggests an impressive intellectual treasure here as well. I enjoyed the volume enough to keep it to read another time. A rare kudo, believe me.

There is a growing movement of gay lesbian and gender diverse people to discover their own history, to learn what was taken from us. When we learn how vast our history is, how it has spanned the full reaches of time, we can challenge those who would deny us our beauty and purpose in the world.

Read this book, it is one of the classics to gaining this understanding.

For this book The Zuni Man-Woman William Roscoe received the 1991 Margaret Mead Award presented by the American Anthropological Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology; and along with the high academic award, he has written an extremely readable book. For those interested in the impact of the dichotomous world-view of Western society on an individual's role in that society, this book provides an eye-opening experience. "Gender", the role assignment or assumption that individuals undergo, is clearly compared with "sex" characterized by individual sexual practices.Based on a study of Zuni gender roles illustrated by the life of berdache We'wha during the Nineteenth Century, Roscoe leads the reader to examine a third gender choice available in that matrilineal society. This "third gender" provided an avenue for the expression of variations in both sex and gender which allowed individuals to make unique contributions to their communities. Their contributions crossed the barriers imposed by traditional views of masculinity and femininity. The social, religious and artistic contributions made possible by an accepted "third gender" benefitted Zuni society by increasing the pool of individuals who could contribute their talents to that society.Today American gender roles are shifting also, and this author gives us historical evidence that many societies have benefitted from uncoupling "gender" and "sex" in the public imagination. As a result of this author's research, it is possible to view the employed mother's syndrome of trying to "do it all" and the questions men have about their inclinations toward artistic ventures, nurturing activities, and service to others in a new light. The historian Roscoe provides rich examples from a variety of Native American societies that avoided the trap of either/or gender identities. Further he provided a detailed review of the impact of both Zuni and Puritan ethics on the well being of the Zuni and the "American" tribes and their individual members.If you are interested in Southwestern Native Americans, the Nineteenth Century politics of ethnic absorption or extermination, or the impact of gender roles on individual opportunities and on the strength of a society, then you must read the contribution of this historian.

From understanding how blood sugars affect overall health to what constitutes appropriate exercise and how to judge the heatlh effects of fast food, 101 Tips For Simplifying Diabetes provides an easy question-and-answer format to answer some of the more common questions posed by diabetics. The format lends to an easier understanding of the condition than most would allow.

This book is a very nice University Press book that conveys the essence of NM trout streams and its high quality trout fishing. Not a fish pic book, it emphasizes the experience of angling in beautiful places. Highly recommended.

I live in New Mexico. This book is fun and interesting, a very accurate portrayal of Hispanos, I think. It's in both real dialogue Spanish and has a good English translation. That was the best part. Mr. Garcia has contributed to American history and anthropology in an important way.

A treatise on the archaeology, history, ethnohistory, linguistics, and religion of the peoples of the Southwest-the Navajo, Keresans, Tanoans, Utes, Spaniards and Anglos, who are the tapestry of that land. This book is about people-where they lived, what they believed, and how they interacted with others. The chapters are entitled: The Navajo Eden: The Dinétah; The Eastern Ancestral Puebloans; The Spaniards Enter and Settle, 1540-1700; The Tanoan and Keresan Rio Grande Puebloans; Acculturation in the Dinétah; Keresan and Tanoan Religions and Societal Organizations; Navajo Origin Myth and Societal Organization; Protohistoric Rio Grande Ceremonialism; Gods of the Navajo Night Chant; Universal Female and Male Deities.

Back in 2004, I was doing research in New Mexico for my book Microbe: Are We Ready For The Next Plague?. I decided to take a side trip to see Acoma - and what a side trip it was! Truly, one of the few times in my life where I felt like I'd stepped into another time, another world.

Minge's book has much the same effect on even the casual reader - it's easy to see why it's the only history of the Sky City sanctioned by the tribal council. Exhaustive, full of detail, and yes at the same time very readable. Some fascinating photographs and stories to pore over and ponder, especially through the arrival of the Spanish and the Americans.

The book is also a tribute to the strength of the people of Acoma and their decision to keep their culture alive and to honor their heritage. A definite must-read to anyone who is interested in the rich cultural heritage of the American Southwest.

Smoke can adversely affect digital electronics; in the short term, it can lead to circuit bridging & in the long term to corrosion of metal parts. This report focuses on the impact of smoke on digital instrumentation & control equip. The tests focused on short-term effects such as circuit bridging in typical components & the factors that can influence how much the smoke will affect them. These factors include the component tech'y. & packaging, physical board protect., & environ'l. conditions such as the amt. of smoke, temp. of burn, & humidity level