Utah Books

David Gaskill's photographic journey through Glen Canyon is a real treat. The photographs are stunning and the book's design is both professional and attractive. Gaskill's book provides a wonderful glimpse of one of Colorado's treasures. A perfect coffee table book.

Award-winning professor Martha Sonntag Bradley presents Pedestals & Podiums: Utah Women, Religious Authority & Equal Rights, the true story of the relationship between Mormon women, the Mormon church, the American feminist movement in general, and the Equal Rights Amendment in particular. A close case study, Pedestals & Podiums traces how the Mormon church and Mormon women who had identified themselves as feminist joined the position of mainstream conservatives over the polarizing issue of the Equal Rights Amendment, in a fierce war waged with unrestrained rhetoric and leaflets. In addition to its extensive research, Pedestals & Podiums is written from a keenly insightful perspective, since in addition to serving as a professor the author is a member of the Mormon church and mother who personally attended the Utah women's conference of 1977.

This book is a transcription of several of the dairies and journals of the Zion’s Poetess, Eliza R. Snow. She was a plural wife of Joseph Smith, and later headed up the Female Relief Society once Brigham Young and the Saints reached the Great Basin, in Utah. This transcription follow the pattern laid down by “Personal Writings of Joseph Smith,” “Papers of Joseph Smith,” and “Words of Joseph Smith.” Eliza had such a broad and eternal mind, so it is fitting that we have a book devoted to her writings.

I found Eliza’s trail diary to be the best book. The trail diary covers Eliza’s 111-day pioneer journey across the plains. It records some of the experiences she had along the way, not only being a ministering angel to the sick sisters, but several profound spiritual experiences she had.

This book is a must for anyone into the original documents. The only problem I have is the price. I thought that University Presses were supposed to provide cheap books! Sheesh!

Eliza Roxcy Snow Smith was a Wonder Woman. She is one of the greatest women, no only in Momondom, but in American history, and even the world. He greatness is due to her unusual talents. She is an incredible poet, but an incredible woman to boot. She was, in a sense, the female prophet, much like ward-level Relief Society presidents are sometimes called the “Lady Bishops.”

This book really is touching and it was something our whole family was able to enjoy reading it together and to the kids. The story was very interesting and it seemed to be historically correct with regards to the western area it covered in the story. I would highly recommend it to parents for their children and those interested in the geneology theme.

Placing the Academy: Essays on Landscape, Work, and Identity is an anthology of memoir essays by a diversity of learned authors reflecting upon their experiences as teachers, students, and young adults experiencing the rites of passage. Essays include "On Frogs, Poems and Teaching at a Rural Community College", "The Blind Teaching the Blind: The Academic as Naturalist, or Not", "Levittown Breeds Anarchists! Film at 11" and much more. At times broadly insightful, at times intensely personal, these vignettes offer a unique, soul-satisfying glimpse of the universal quest to pass on human knowledge, and all the myriad ways in which dedicating one's career to that quest can touch one's life.

Polygamy On The Pedernales: Lyman Wight's Mormon Villages in Antebellum Texas, 1845 to 1858 by Melvin C. Johnson (teaches history and English at Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas) is the true history of a Mormon splinter group, led by maverick Mormon apostle Lyman Wight. After Joseph Smith Jr.'s murder in 1844, Wight led his church to establish a Texas colony; his antagonism with Brigham Young kept his group apart from the majority of Mormons gathering in Utah. Though Wight and his followers made a significant contribution to the local Texas economy, Wight's death in 1858 while leading his dwindling group of followers on yet another migration brought an end to his splinter sect. An exhaustively researched saga, presented in a manner equally accessible to lay readers and religious history scholars.

"Portrait of America" was a popular video documentary series in the mid-eighties, a product of collaboration between Superstation/Turner Broadcasting Corporation and Ambrose Home Video. Well-researched, each video is divided into 5 segments covering most unique historical, social, and cultural aspects of each state. Watching such an interesting documentary, each being roughly about 50 minutes long, without advertisements and other interruptions seems to be a privilege in these days!

Minor disclaimer:
Not only did I read this article, I wrote it. And did a fine job of it. If $5 is too much, contact me and I'll fax it to you for $4.99.

Judd

A comprehensive reference on the sourcing, cultural context, and ideological significance of jade in the world of the ancient Maya and other Precolumbian peoples of Central America. This is a "must have" for anyone interested in the topic. It is destined to become a classic source on archaeological jade.

This book answers many questions on the pre-history of Colorado and the surrounding area. I have used it as a research tool, but it is also a simple read for hobbyists and people interested in paleoindian cultures. The section on paleoenvironmental periods and climactic conditions was interesting and not found in other similar resources. The illustrations of different types of lithic points, as well as maps were helpful in visualizing the text. The appendices of plants, animals and fish found in Colorado are interesting additions. The emigration routes of the prehistoric people and how they led to the historic Indian tribes that the first Europeans encoutered are clearly described. I would have liked more speculation on what life was like for the prehistoric people and more illustrations on items such as clothing and tools other than the points, i.e. pottery, the atlatl, bone tools and ornaments. Also helpful would have been a graph or timeline of the diifferent periods of occupation. However, illustrations/photos of these items can be found in other resources. Overall, this publication does cover the prehistory of the region very well.