Utah Books

Fortunately, I recently went on a guided hiking tour of Switzerland with the author, Greg Witt. On one of many wonder-filled hikes, Greg stated: "You know, we are so fortunate to live in Salt Lake City. It is probably the best city in the world for hiking." I have rolled up and down northern Utah trails for several decades. Rest assured prospective readers, this book contains something for everyone interested in hiking the Wasatch Mountains and surrounding areas. Buy the book, take 2 months off work and do one a day. There are certainly more than 60 hikes within 60 miles but Greg's picked the winners.

I am a Provo product and just an occasional hiker, but was awed to find that I had been to several of the hikes in the book. As I compared them to the places I haven't been, I got very excited to try new things. As I reviewed the info on hikes familiar to me, I could almost relive the entire experience. The chapters are easy to understand, you can read the "short" version or the details, and you will find things that you can prep on and share with the littler hikers that you take with you--even new stuff you didn't notice if you've already hiked it. My friend who is an advanced hiker borrowed my book and he loves it so much he won't give it back! I'm going to order another one!

A well written comprehensive publication of hiking in the areas where we live. This book is an excellent resource for anyone who going to visit or lives in the Salt Lake area.

What a great resource this book is! It gives all of the needed information at a glance. Starting elevation, elevation changes,hiking times, even the water requirement! The author has obviously hiked every inch of each trail. As a scoutmaster and avid hiker, this book is worth it's weight in gold to me. I recommend it highly.Slimjim

We recently relocated to Utah from Southern California; we were familiar with all kinds of outdoor hiking activities there. But while we knew there were fantastic hiking adventures to be found here, we just didn't know how to find them. Then we discovered this book.

Most guide books give you just the facts--where and how far. "60 Hikes..." gives you much more: age-appropriateness, difficulty, wildlife, geology, and even history. It's clear that Witt not only knows what he's talking about, he loves it. This enthusiasm is contagious, making you want to jump out of your armchair and explore.

Although we might not make all 60 hikes, we know we'll love the ones we do.

I highly recommend it.

This is a legitimate contender for the title of "The Great Mormon Novel" (if there is such a thing.) It's a comedy of the most profound order. A young LDS cowboy in the 1950's wrestles with guilt, especially that of a sexual nature, although ironically he has very little to feel guilty about. His struggles lead him to one of the great epiphanies of recent fiction--the "Cowboy Jesus." Some Mormon critics see this figure as blasphemous; other see him as quintessentially LDS (I think this scene is one of the most touching things I have ever read.) This novel established Peterson as one of the foremost Mormon writers, and one of the most shamefully neglected American fiction authors. He should be at least as famous as any yuppie Montana writer.

i love this book, it is one of my favorite novels of all time. because of the regional emphasis i believe it has been vastly overlooked by mainstream america, but if more people were aware of it, it would be a bestseller. honestly.
although it is a book about a young man coming of age in the mormon world, it isn't what you think. it explores the basic tenets of faith in a very gnostic way. i am one of those people who actually believes mormonism should probably be classified as a cult rather than a religion, and yet i still believe the struggles of this man to find his faith mirror those of any searcher who is looking for authentic truth in christianity itself.

powerful characters, timeless wisdom, honest passion, and hey, it's even uproariously funny in places.

no spoilers for me, just read the book. you'll be glad you did.

Warning: spoilers.

The main theme is the battle btw the hero's apocalyptic and world-denying religious impulse and his love of living, sex, work and cows. The first is associated with his vegetarian mother, a bitter lady, and his gentle effeminate brother who ultimately (after helping out gelding cattle) goes nuts and castrates himself. The second is associated with some of the worldly Mormons like his down-to-earth bishop, and with the teenage girl he knocks up and marries, a country-music-rodeo evangelical who dreams of a cowboy Jesus.

This main theme is simplistic -- especially toward the end as the resolution becomes predictable -- which I guess is why a novel like this is not seen as a great novel. But the major and minor characters are unusually interesting and are embedded in a rich social context. (You learn a lot about Utah society without any didactic passages.)

Disclosure: As Signature Books' publisher (1981--1984)when Backslider was issued, perhaps I'm not entitled to an opinion (my apologies for stumbling if so). Peterson is the premier author of Mormon literature (with Orson Scott Card in his own distinctive way), and this his best-known and highly-acclaimed work. A classic of the Mormon backwater, Backslider deserves of a wider audience. Irreverent, earthy, grace-filled and redemptive. *****

The Backslider is not a light temptation story with a hero who gives in at first and then repents with complete success. Rather, like many great works, it presents a hero who succumbs, first denies his actions to himsef and others, and then repents, only to succumb again. The Blackslider tells the story of a simple, well-meaning Mormon cowboy who can barely keep his pants on and head together. Neither very attracted nor committed to his Lutheran girlfriend, he finds himself well on the way to marriage and all sorts of other obligations to her. Meanwhile, his family encounters much hardship with a brother and his mental illness.

The novel's themes of temptation, redemption, religious hypocrisy and cultural pressures are convincing. Neither preachy nor prim in description, the Backslider has an earthy quality that draws the reader in.

Probably a racy story for the average Mormon reader, the Backslider is also somewhat disappointing for the non-Mormon reader as the conclusion includes a seemingly obligatory conversion, thus maintaining the traditional and official Mormon worldview in an otherwise spirited and intrepid narrative. Sigh. But given that this is the premise of the book anyway, and given that the conversion comes across as sympathetic, general readers might do best to suspend judgment on that front and appreciate the book's ultimate visions of faith and love, which are original and very moving indeed.

Even after skiing most of North Superior on my face, I'm still glad this guide showed me the way. Prudence inspring (with many tales of disaster) this book makes great reading even if you never get it together enough to point your skis down a 60 degree slope.

This book rocks. The author is so friendly - if you go to his website ([...])- he'll send you a signed copy!

...and just when I thought I was becoming a good skier, I read Andrew's book and realized the depth of technical skill he posses. The Chuting Gallery is an excellant tool to be used by accomplished ski mountaineers to test the grade of their steel. As a guide book, for me, it tells me where not to go.....

Even after skiing most of the North Face of Superior on my face, I'm still glad to have read this excellent guide. Filled with enough references to inspire caution in even the most hardcore skiers, this is the ultimate conversation piece, even if you never make it off the groomers at Alta.

Buy this book, that guy owes a lot of people serious money

My interest in this book was triggered by an encounter with a brother-in-law who denied any blood-atonment incidents in the early Basin Kingdom. I knew otherwise from reading Mike Quinn and Mountain Meadows history. Forgotten Kingdom was a good dispassionate source confimring the rough-and-tumble times of early Utah. Full-fledged democratic institutions hadn't yet taken shape in the US generally, much less on the frontier, much less in a territory dominated by a theocratic kingdom not yet ready to accommodate outsiders. Violence was a part of life, just as it is now (only more institutionalized now).

I didn't sense any particular ideology or ax to grind. You don't get that voyeuristic feel of sensationalism that you might with a less sympathetic view. Biglet lets the story tell itself. He doesn't pull punches or whitewash, but neither does he judge from a 21st century view how these frontiersmen made do in their lives. The most important thing I look for when I read a history is a sympathetic storyteller - someone who doesn't judge participants from a narrow point of view. Bigler's history is sympathetic and compassionate.

I have ancestors who settled in southern Utah, and Bigler helps me understand better what they went through. The vision of an independent kingdom of God was doomed from the start, for the same reasons that it failed in Ohio, Missour, and Illinois, You can't help but admire the audacity and tenacity of these early settlers, though. Forgotten Kingdom does a useful services by shedding light on these times.

I agreed with the previous reviewers in saying that this is one of the best books regarding the theocratic state that the Mormons tried to create during their early territorial years. The book does a wonderful job contrasting the theocratic values of the Mormon's ideal world to the republican ideology of the United States at that time.

The key figure of this book proves to be the theocratic dictator of Utah Territory, Brigham Young, prophet and president of the LDS. Its pretty clear by the book that Young saved his church from destruction and with his single-minded clarity of mission, managed to saved Utah for the Mormons. But in doing so, he committed himself to unforgivable sins, worst being the cover-up of the Mountain Meadow Massacre. But it was also interesting how he created a shadow government to off set the loss of formal position. But to paraphase one of the quotes from the book, "I may be the governor of the territory but Young is the govenor of the people" (close?). His defense of polygamy aided the enemies of his church and his willingness to over looked the misdeeds of his underlings marked him as a great but deeply flawed man. The book covered this struggled between Young and all his foes who stood against his theocratic dictatorship.

The book appears to be very well researched, clearly written and easy to read. Its an interesting read of Utah's politics, wars and religious conflicts as the Mormons slowly but surely, began to assimulated into the American society.

If you are looking for a comprehensive and accurate history (1847-1896) of the Mormons this book is the one to buy. David Bigler's ability to accurately research and write about Mormon history is second to none. From the discovery of gold at John Sutter and James Marshall's lumber mill to the Mountain Meadows Massacre this book covers some of the most important events in the history of the United States.

This important and seminal work should be required for those interested in or those currently studying Mormonism and its forgotten legacy to western America.

Beggining with the Arrival of the Mormons in 1847 and the creation of the state of Deseret we are taken through the many twists and turns of the Mormon effort to establish a country west of the mississippi. Truly a tale of endurance and originality. This was the only state ever created in the americas not relying on colinialism to create it. Here the 'Saints' built schools, railroads and an army. The settled the land from California to Nevada to Arizona and beyond. The almost came to war with the American government in 1858. Some mormons massacred a group of Gentiles traveling through Utah(but gee history seems to have forgotten the massacres of mormons back east). We learn of the regime of Young.

The book details the indian wars and immigration. Like estbalishing the state of Israel by the Jews, these pioneers esablished their own Zion which in many ways parrallels the creatiion of the Jewish state a 100 years later.

This bridges the gap between the mormon histories of Nauvoo, the hero making of Orrin Port Rockwell, and the modern mormon books that detail the power and secrecy of the chruch. This book also goes beyond the sensationalistic accounts of the Mountain Meadows Massacre(titled 'American Massacre' it would have been more aptly named for the Waco massacre in 93.)

An important book, well written and structured so as to make it easy for the reader to grasp.

Westerners International gave David L. Bigler's Forgotten Kingdom its Best Book award for 1998.

Will Bagley, Series Editor

This work hits on a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Animals have played a very important part of my life for over sixty years now and they are just as important to me now as when I received my first puppy when I was about three years old. My wife and I have been very involved with our local humane society for many years now. That being said....

This work takes the reader for an inside look at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary located Southern Utah. Thousands of animals have been helped through this organization and Ms. Kelsey has given us a child's eye view of its workings, mission, needs, and indeed, delights. The book is designed to be read to children, and more specifically, is ideal for groups of children, although it is an absolute delight for the adult reader also. The photographs are quite professionally done and are works of art themselves. The author's easy style, humor and obvious enthusiasm for her subject shine through on ever page. She takes us on a verbal tour, supplemented by wonderful photographs, through this great organization. The author takes great pains in explaining the socialization process of these animals, stressing not only their physical needs, but emotional as well. This is a bit different than some of the works in this genre. We are given a peek at the different areas of this sanctuary, the bird house, horse area, pigs, dogs, cats, et al. Some individual stories of these critters are told as well as the source for many of the animals helped here.

This book is certainly designed for the class room. Its easy reading style and humor will be appreciated by the children. Each page is full of useful information and the photographs are well coordinated. Many questions are asked which are ideal for taking the children into a discussion. The author has also provided pages full of ideas for class projects, given some great web sites for further research, and above all, has infused an enthusiasm into her work which is rather contagious. Volunteerism is stressed here and the point is well made that everyone can do their little share to change what has become almost a national tragedy. Now don't misunderstand that statement. This is not a "sad puppy book," something that I find difficult to read to younger children. Everything here is upbeat and positive while still being quite truthful about the plight of these unwanted animals.

A WORD OF CAUTION: I am retired now and spend most of my days acting as a substitute teacher in local schools. We live in an area, Southern Missouri, which is more or less the puppy mill capital of the known universe. This is something my wife and I have fought for years and years. The author is quite harsh, and well she should be, when addressing this subject. The problem comes, in my case, where I will have a room full of about 25 students, and out of that 25, at least six or seven will have parents or grandparents who make their living as puppy mill owners. I plan to use this work at those schools, but I also plan to do a bit of verbal editing when this portion of the book is read to the students. While they need to know about such things, I am not about to be critical of their parents in front of their fellow students. Goodness knows I have had many heated conversations with the parents of these kids on this subject, indeed having been instrumental in shutting a few down, but don't feel the children should be subjected to the same line as I would give their mom and dad.

That being said, I cannot recommend this work highly enough. It is an absolute wealth of information and a delight to the ear and eye. The author has done a wonderful job here. I do wish there were more organizations out there like Best Friends...we certainly need them.

This colorful, friendly book is designed as a tool to help children, ages about five to eight (my guess), to learn about animal sanctuaries, animal shelters, and, in a subtle, gentle way, about the ugliness of animal abuse. I can easily imagine this book being used in a classroom of first-graders or second-graders.

The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is an enormous refuge, for abused animals of all species, located in Utah. This book basically explains the nature and purpose of that sanctuary and, by extension, the nature and purpose of animal shelters and sanctuaries everywhere. The book, which is fifty-two pages long, accomplishes this by providing a verbal and photographic tour of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, describing the animals there, giving you the stories of how they ended up there, and how the animals are cared for, while they live there. I appreciated how the photographs and the text definitely emphasized the animals. The book did not end up being a piece of promotional literature, that glorified the one facility, as if they were the only facility engaging in the support and caring of animals that have been abused or neglected.

Most of the book, if you calculated the area covered by writing versus photographs, is dedicated to beautiful photographs, with the written explanations and captions being smaller. However, the writing is clear, concise, and worded in ways where children are going to understand the ideas, without feeling that they are being talked down to. The writing also does a nice job of giving children enough information about how animals are sometimes mistreated or neglected, without getting so graphic that the children might be traumatized. The tone of the writing is that it assumes that children will usually care about, and sympathize with, animals, and I see that as accurate.

The photography is also fairly balanced, in that it does not portray the animals at the sanctuary as a collection of perfect specimens of petdom. It shows, and talks about, some of the difficulties that a potential adoptive family might face if the animals were brought into that family. I will that the photography is done in such a way that many children will likely, after seeing this book, want to bring a pet into their home. There appears to be a large number of highly photogenic animals at the sanctuary, or else the photographer did an excellent job of being patient and catching the animals at their best.

As I stated above, this book is meant to introduce us to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, as well as to a series of books, with the same photographer, writers, and source material, but aimed at different topics.

There is a section, near the end of the book, that describes different kind of projects, for children and school classrooms to do, to help local animal shelters and sanctuaries. I really like that this section was included, as I can see children understanding and appreciating the book a lot, and immediately wanting to know what they can do to help. The section was done well, as all of the ideas mentioned are very feasible projects for a classroom or a school to do.

I am hoping, and suggesting any who might read this, who is connected to this series, that future topic for books include:

A description of good animal care, especially from a child's point of view.

A discussion of what children can do, if they believe that animals are being abused or neglected.

If I had a list a flaw, there is one small omission. When the book describes how people come to own dogs, it describes pet stores and "puppy mills" (not favorably) and animal shelters (favorably), but makes no mention of puppies obtained from responsible, caring breeders. I can imagine a child, whose family owns a dog obtained from a good breeder, wondering if his or her family obtained their pet in a good way or a bad way. That is a small point, that a teacher or parent could easily explain, but the book could have easily mentioned it.

I am a children's book author AND a regular volunteer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. I am also the editor of this book. To be frank with you, the book needed little editing! Nola's writing is fresh, funny, and full of heart. I knew her when she was a dog caregiver at Best Friends, and I was deeply moved by her love for animals. This love shines on every page of Nola's book. It is indeed a book for people of all ages. Highly recommended!

I really like this book. It is a wonderful way to educate kids (and adults will enjoy it as well) about love, compassion, and respect for animals.

We need to teach our kids while they are young, to treat animals the way that they themselves would want to be treated.

What we sow in our children today, animals will reap tomorrow.

So if we want to end animal abuse, animal cruelty, animal murder (euthanizing healthy animals) etc, in the future, it will ONLY happen, if we teach our kids TODAY, that animals are living, breathing, feeling, loving, soul-filled children of God, just like we human animals are.

Trust me when I say that getting this gift for your child (or a fellow adult) will be a gift that keeps on giving and giving......because this book is about love, compassion and living in peace with, and taking care of, our animal friends.

[...]

Animals are a huge part of our society; but, far too often, they are mistreated and cast aside. Luckily, there are sanctuaries across the nation who provide these particular animals with lifelong homes where they can live in peace and harmony with loving caregivers, and fellow animals. Nora Lee Kelsey takes us behind-the-scenes of one of these particular sanctuaries - Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

Over the years, southern Utah's Best Friends Animal Sanctuary has become one of the biggest animal sanctuaries in the nation. Home to dogs and cats, along with the less typical rabbits, horses, ducks, pigs, sheep, and many more, Best Friends makes a difference in the lives of animals on a daily basis. While many visit the location each year, others don't always have the means or time to make the trip. With Kelsey's LET'S GO VISIT BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SANCTUARY, readers have the opportunity to do just that - from their very own homes!

Laden with gorgeous color photos, LET'S GO VISIT BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SANCTUARY takes readers on a trip to Horse Haven, the Bunny House, Feathered Friends, Cat World, and Dogtown. At each stop, you have the opportunity to meet and greet with some of the residents of each area, learning their likes and dislikes, and glimpsing bits and pieces of what they do on a daily basis. After the trip is said and done, some of the Best Friends residents provide readers with tips on what they can do to help animals - even going so far as including websites you can visit.

I have loved Best Friends Animal Sanctuary ever since I learned about it more than ten years ago, so I was thrilled when I learned that Nora Lee Kelsey had taken the time to pen a gorgeous book about the location. The many pictures bring the animals to life; while the information packed onto each and every page provides the reader with enough facts to become a Best Friends Animal Sanctuary wiz! Perfect for animal lovers to read at home with their families, or as an instructional tool in the classroom, LET'S GO VISIT BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SANCTUARY is a necessity for all. I could not have imagined a more perfect book. Two paws up!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

This book is an absolute must for all subs. Most books only cover k-8 and this book goes all the way through high school. As any sub knows, high school is a whole new ball game from any thing else. If you sub PLEASE buy this book!!

Very comprehensive excellent handbook on substitute teacher. The number one book recommended by many school districts.

I am just starting out as a sub for grade school and wanted to be well prepared. I saw great reviews on this particular book and decided to go for it. I was not dissapointed. It has a lot of good tips and includes some handy filler/emergency tactics such as games and pages to copy to keep the day running smoothly. It also has lots of handy information that is grade specific so no matter where you go, you will have a reference and appropriate backup to refer to. I highly recommend it.

This book is the best resource out there, and is currently being used at the local university. I am an education major and my campus uses this edition as well. There are many helpful bulleted lists for quick reference while in the classroom. Several supply freebies are printed up just waiting to Xeroxed st your convenience. Still, the best features are it's ease of reading and application of little details that make all the difference. This is the kind of "practical magic" you don't receive from a formal education that makes all the difference come game time.

This book provides some real insights and valuable suggestions for how to approach substitute teaching. In fact, I have used the techniques outlined in the book to solve other problems with regards to public speaking and small group leadership.

Overall, I have found the book helpful, although I do have one very minor complaint...Although the book makes every effort to be clear in its presentation (using reminder icons etc.) The headings threw me off. Generally you expect Larger headings to be the main point with smaller headings explaining subpoints; however the headings in this book kind of blurred together using the same fonts, so I had to go back in the reading to determine what the over arching themes were for the chapter.

As I said, very minor complaint!!! Otherwise, I would say...Buy this book first! The others just reiterate the same points, and they don't do it with half the level of thoroughness.

Excellent book, the color maps and pictures are EXCELLENT a wise choice by the author to go to a color format much better that the older black/white books.

We had plans to haul our ATVs to Moab and ride the area. This book was incredibly beneficial in helping us pick the trails to ride. It contained great detail on the trails themselves and easy to follow directions to the trailheads. Without this book we would have been guessing where to go and always asking directions. It truly enhanced our great experience. The rules, general information and tips in the beginning were helpful also. I would definitely recommend purchasing this book if you're intending to ride the Moab, Utah area.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who owns an ATV and would like to go wheelin in Southern Utah. The book is very informative and definitely keeps you on track. There are several levels of difficulty so there is something for everyone. The scenery is fantastic.

I like these maps! They show a lot of usable detail. The maps themselves are somewhat small, however.

After many years of riding ATV's around Moab I picked up this book wondering if it would help me find new routes and trails. I find it very interesting. The trail maps are easy to follow and the photos give an accurate depiction of what to expect. Having all the GPS waypoints will put "Search and Rescue" out of business. I'd recommend the book to anyone coming to Moab, be it for the first time or on a return trip. Together with Charles Wells "Guide to Moab, UT Backroads & 4- Wheel Drive Trails" one better plan a few weeks in Moab to see it all. I also like the fact that it stresses staying on the trails. We've had a lot of trail abuse around here. If it continues a lot more trails will be closed. Hope to see you out in the Slickrock country.

Utah's acceptance of the 2002 winter games seemed to prove the soundness of Colorado's decision to reject the games decades earlier. As has now been well documented, the award touched off a cascade of corruption, from outright bribery of the International Olympic Committee to various land swindles. It was a seismic event in the rural West, creating a shock doctrine all its own. Here at long last was the perfect excuse for wholesale development at nearly any cost. Honorable state and national legislators morphed into eager enablers.

Steve Trimble wisely opted out of trying to thoroughly assay the political scheming and environmental consequences played out in a spectacular crucible. But he has done something far better. He tracks one emblematic deal -- the transfer of a great swath of prime public land to a driven man who was already one of the largest landholders in the country. Bargaining For Eden is not just another depressing illustration of the corrupting influence of power, but a vibrant montage of unusual suspects expressing quirky aspects of individualism, camaraderie, and Western ethos. The author himself does not stand aside in judgment, but, in going the extra mile for the truth, explicitly implicates himself -- almost shamefacedly detailing his own micro-land development.

I'm grateful that Steve Trimble volunteered to guide us through this minefield of desires and improbable outcomes. His softspoken integrity puts the reader at ease. His own contemplative adventures are mingled deftly with the big doings of "operator" Earl Holding -- a man who, despite the author's careful rendering, seems more bulldozer than flesh and blood. This, above all, makes the book compelling. It is surprisingly easy to read, in spite of the messy wrangling for wilderness and luxury it reveals. In the end, I could not escape the feeling that the author's essential honesty and kindness overshadow even his larger-than-life subjects. He would never concede the point, however. He maintains that we are all Earl Holding, to some degree. That perspective is, at least, instructive and useful for bridge-building. Steve Trimble is harder on himself than on anyone else in this book, and that's saying something. It is therefore the one book about the changing West that every American should read.

"Bargaining for Eden" is really two books in one. The first book, and the one that has garnered the most attention, is about self-made billionaire Earl Holding and how he finagled, with the help of powerful friends, to add over 1,000 acres of public land to his Snow Basin ski resort in advance of 2002 Winter Olympics. It's an interesting tale, and author Steve Trimble tells it with careful, well-researched precision. Trimble, a self-avowed environmentalist, treats all sides of the controversy fairly, as witnessed by the reading he gave at the Salt Lake City public library where one of Earl Holding's minions, who probably didn't care much for the book, complimented Steve on his good writing and accurate quoting.

The second book within the book is, to me, really the more important one, because it's about all of us who love and live in the West. As Trimble writes, "On some level I am Earl [Holding]--we are all Earl." Here, Steve chronicles his own adventures as a small-time land developer in Utah's redrock country, and what he thought about and considered as he built a second home for his family on a previously-undeveloped piece of land. As I read this I thought about myself, the places I've lived in Utah, Oregon, and Montana, and how I've impacted those places. I doubt few of us have considered our own impacts and worked to mitigate them in the way Trimble did. I know I haven't.

The last chapter of the book, "Credo: The People's West" is something of a non-sequitur. It's Trimble's rules for living in the West, and it clearly draws on more than what's in this book. I agreed with some of parts of the credo; disagreed with others. My credo would be different from Steve's. So would yours, I imagine.

Overall, the book is fair and even-handed, possibly to a fault. It is not a rant and it steers clear of the self-righteousness so common in environmental tomes. Buy it. Read it. Think about it.

Steve Trimble's latest book is a compelling look at the tensions between private mega-enterprise and public interests. If you care about the future of open spaces (and not just in the American West), if you care about the future of community, if you care about how to tend to democracy in an age of fracture and fracas, this is a sobering look at a battle in Utah that can stand in for many such battles across the country. Refusing to give into cynical preaching, Trimble offers a nuanced look at his own complicity in questions of ownership and activism, which makes this book even more important. It ends with a hopeful, necessary "Credo," which also was recently published in High Country News. A fine naturalist, photographer and writer, Steve Trimble is a treasure. This book demands to be read, understood--and its lessons put into action by thoughtful citizens everywhere.

Stephen Trimble tackles the paradox of the modern west: how do people inhabit and develop a rapidly vanishing landscape? Trimble weaves the important tale of public land transformed into a commercial ski resort with his own construction of a second home near a national park. This juxtaposition elevates the book from polemic to a serious discussion of the many facets of land development. Trimble recognizes that there are no easy answers, but argues convincingly that wise land use policy requires the contribution of all of the stakeholders in the landscape: developers, environmentalists, long-time residents and the public in general.

What sets Trimble's book apart is his obvious affection not just for the land, but for the people who have lived on the land for many years. His interviews with men and women whose families have lived on the land for generations provides the reader with an often neglected perspective on the west. Trimble has an ear for the ironic poignancy of how development displaces those families who have lived and loved a particular place for generations, even as that landscape is changed by their own decisions regarding its value and use.

Highly readable, Trimble's natural storytelling ability comes through to illuminate a transformative moment in western history. As a native Montanan and long-time resident of Utah, I recommend it to all those who seek to understand a sense of place.

Trimble tells the story of reclusive oil executive Earl Holding and his struggle to develop a wild mountainside into a an elite ski resort, using the Olympics as a cudgel to overcome passionate local resistance. This is a compelling story that has not been covered outside of Utah. It is a shocking example of how the powers-that-be facilitate destructive and one-sided land use and how common citizens who personally know thew land and love it resist. The book then takes an unexpected twist: Trimble builds a second-home in a wild canyon in southern Utah and realizes he is becoming like his nemesis, Holding, just on a different scale. This confessional realization makes him dig deeper. Ultimately it is our own human nature he uncovers.

Why do we violate the integrity of ecosystems and habitat and how can we stop ourselves? these central questions are not resolved here. Trimble's book is both a heartfelt and intelligent invitation to public discourse on these critical questions. The reader could not get a more honest or wise guide than Trimble.

This book is of great interest to me since I was a volunteer on an Earthwatch Institute team led by Carlos Lopez, tracking, capturing and marking carnivores in a research area on the west coast of Mexico. I was on the team when the first 'Mexican' jaguar was captured (and released) for research purposes.
This book not only lays out history and distribution, etc., but also tells about the unique place this animal has in legend and lore.

Borderland Jaguars is the latest in a series of excellent books by David Brown documenting the natural history of the large carnivores of the southwest including the Mexican wolf and the grizzly bear. This book on jaguars documents their presence on both sides of the border to include Arizona, New,Mexico, and Sonora, Mexico. It is extremely well written, and is accompanied by excellent historical photographs of jaguars from both sides of the border. The last chapter on a conservation plan for borderland jaguars is extremely practical and highly realistic. David Brown and his co-author Carlos Lopez Gonzales are highly qualified wildlife biologists who have devoted themselves to the study of this charismatic large carnivore of the borderlands. Whether you be a professional in the wildlife field or naturalist by choice, this book will greatly enhance your knowledge of one of the most spectacular large predators of the Southwest.

This timely and useful book collates and summarizes in handy paperback form what is known about the northernmost population of the jaguar in the U.S. Southwest and adjoining parts of Mexico. I couldn't put the book down and recommend it highly as an authentic learning experience about the jaguar in southwest history, ecology, and culture. The authors are to be commended for undertaking such a thorough attempt to gather and assess all manner of pertinent information about this animal, past and present. In the recent era, jaguars have been in rare and marginal numbers in Arizona and New Mexico as northern outliers of a larger Mexican breeding population in northern Sonora. Currently, it doesn't look good for these nearest breeding populations--where the two lone jaguars photographed in 1996 in southeastern Arizona most likely came from. The size and structure of this nearest jaguar population (about 120 miles south of Arizona)is largely unknown scientifically and likely in serious decline now. According to the authors' survey results a continual number of animals in the population (including lactating females) are apparently still killed each year in response to livestock predation. Hopefully, improving research efforts like this will lead to a more informed public (here and in Mexico), to timely and more effective conservation measures, and a more certain future for these animals. Otherwise, we may learn all too soon that the presence of but another magnificent creature has quietly, permanently winked-out and will no longer enrich our common borderlands.

With „Borderland Jaguars" David E. Brown and co-author Carlos A. Lopez Gonzalez have continued the investigative writing tradition Brown started back in 1983 with „The Wolf in the Southwest" followed by „The Grizzly in the Southwest" (1985).

While the previous books are considered classic references of the imbalanced struggle between man and predators in the past, the recent spectacular sightings of jaguars in the remote Baboquivari and Peloncillo mountains of Arizona have refueled the public's interest into the present status and future of „tigres" north of the Mexican border.

Brown and Gonzalez show that jaguar visits from the south are not accidental events but follow a complex pattern. One important issue in this respect is the biotic communities of the borderlands providing jaguar habitat, and which are thoroughly discussed. The natural history of the jaguar is highlighted by a carefully up-dated listing of jaguars reported from Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora and Chihuahua between 1900 and 2000, many supported by photographs and behind-the-scene information from eyewitnesses. Through on-site investigations in Mexico, Brown and Gonzalez were able to locate the possible source(s) of those jaguars that periodically show up in AZ.

The ancient symbolic power, as well as the elusive beauty of the jaguar, which trigger our imagination, are omnipresent throughout this book. And, the tension and personal reports of the few lucky Arizonans, who have actually come across jaguars, make this book extremely exciting reading. Putting the reader down in a comfortable armchair in pursuit of a jaguar in an abandoned minetunnel, with only four shells and a dim flashlight, is simply not offered by regular wildlife references!

By giving attention to the large predators of the Southwest, Brown has brought us a long way, covering the Mexican wolf, the grizzly, the cougar (in a foreword for Harley Shaw's „Soul Among Lions") and now the jaguar. These fine books should be considered a series, and appreciated as a totality. The concept of a jaguar reserve in Sonora as proposed by Brown and Gonzalez has set a high goal for conservation efforts. Until then, the vast majority of us will have to live with Brown`s cold comfort that „the thought of such a cat's presence is enough in itself".

Change your mental image of the big, spotted cat crouching in leafy jungle shadows and enter the world of jaguars living a hundred miles or so south of the US-Mexican border in dry, rugged mountains. "Borderland Jaguars" gives a fascinating overview of these cats: the threats by man's presence and development of its shrinking habitat, and the possibility that the animal may be threatened to the point of extinction in the region. The well-researched book includes sections about how man, from pre-hispanic times to first explorers, hunters and settlers viewed the jaguar. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in these endangered cats, and especially conservation in the borderland region.

_Dinosaurs of Utah_ is a book that author Frank DeCourten first conceived of in the late 1980s while teaching a course on dinosaurs at the University of Utah. He had envisioned a book that would collect all of the latest information on Mesozoic Utah with most of the focus being on dinosaurs and after years of work was able to publish this well-illustrated book in 1998. Though the book is titled _Dinosaurs of Utah_ it will be of use to anyone interested in paleontology and particularly in dinosaurs.

The first chapter was an overview of the Mesozoic world as a whole, with particular emphasis on non-dinosaur fauna, paleogeography, and geology of the Mesozoic. It was interesting to learn how unusual Mesozoic geology was; normally the polarity of the Earth's magnetic field reverses itself about every one-half million years but for some reason about 118 million years ago the magnetic field shifted from reverse to normal and stayed that way for 35 million years ago. The reasons for this unique event are not understood; are they connected to the intense volcanism of the Mesozoic? More igneous rock formed both on the surface and underground in the Cretaceous than during any other geologic period. It was also interesting to learn that the ocean's circulation systems were quite different back then; today's circulation of water in the deeper ocean basins is driven by frigid polar water sinking and continuously displacing warmer, less dense water on the abyssal plains. With no cold polar waters, were the deepest ocean waters stagnant, oxygen-starved, and virtually lifeless?

Chapter two was a pretty basic chapter as one can guess from its title, "What is a dinosaur?"

Chapter three looked at the Triassic. Early Triassic Utah, as preserved in the Moenkopi Formation, was mud flats and low coastal floodplains to the east and a sea to the west which shifted back and forth across the state several times. Though marine fossils are common, the scanty terrestrial vertebrate fossils are dominated by amphibian fossils and trackways. The more interesting Chinle Formation of the Late Triassic showed that the coastal plain has transformed into an interior basin surrounded by mountains, the basin dominated by river called the Chinle Trunk River that flowed northwest out of the basin toward the sea in western Nevada. Non-dinosaurs fossils include metoposaurs, phytosaurs, aetosaurs, dicynodonts, and rhynchosaurs, but dinosaurs have so far revealed their presence only by trackways (though their fossils, particularly the famous _Coelophysis_ , are found in nearby states).

Chapter four looked at the Early and Middle Jurassic, the author spending some time on the subject of Late Triassic extinctions of non-dinosaur reptiles. Much of this time Utah was quite arid, as two formations, the Wingate Sandstone and the Navajo Sandstone, indicate that vast ergs or "sand seas" dominated the region. Indeed the Navajo Sandstone erg covered 160,000 square miles and was larger than any modern Sahara erg. Owing to the poor fossil-forming qualities of these formations and their original arid, vertebrate-impoverished environments, fossils are rare but they are found. In Utah and in nearby states one can find tritylodonts (herbivorous mammal-like reptiles), _Dilophosaurus_ (a fearsome bipedal predator, though _Jurassic Park_ aside, there is no evidence it could spit poison and in fact was larger than portrayed in the movie), and _Massospondylus_, a prosauropod that apparently was adapted for arid and semiarid environments. Tracks abound in some areas, such as the Moab megatracksite, which contains literally millions of tracks over a 120 square-mile area.

Chapter five was titled "The Golden Age of Sauropods" and looked at the herbivores of the Morrison Formation, an enormous seasonally semiarid savanna of fern prairies and large alkaline lakes (a 300 mile-long lake could be found in southwestern Colorado at the time). Unlike previous formations, dinosaur fossils are no longer mostly fragmentary, as indeed some of the most impressive and complete specimens in the world come from this formation. Much is covered in this chapter, including evidence of migrating dinosaurs, the differences between the four different sauropod families, a possible ecological association between _Apatosaurus_ and _Stegosaurus_, the function of _Stegosaurus_ plates, and Morrison ornithopods like _Camptosaurus_ and _Dryosaurus_.

Chapter six examined the theropods of the Morrison, primarily _Allosaurus_, the state's signature fossil, the author examining its feeding strategies and the famous Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry (a site that has yielded at least 44 individual _Allosaurus_ as well as eight other genera), and what is known about _Ceratosaurus_, _Torvosaurus_, _Ornitholestes_, and _Marshosaurus_ (the latter may have been a very early dromaeosaur).

The seventh chapter looked at the Early Cretaceous. Western Utah was highland and mountain, eastern Utah was moist, low, coastal floodplains. Major dinosaurs of this formation include _Sauropelta_ (a nodosaur), _Polacanthus_ (another nodosaur), _Utahraptor_, and the 20-foot long sauropod _Pleurocoelus_ (similar to the Morrison's _Camarasaurus_ but much smaller than the "golden age" sauropods). DeCourten wrote that Early Cretaceous studies were just beginning and were important in understanding the huge faunal change-over from Jurassic times.

Chapter eight was on the Late Cretaceous, most of the dinosaur fossils from this time hailing from a narrow very moist coastal plain (during a time when much coal was formed) between mountains to the west and an interior sea to the east. Fauna has again changed, with the Early Cretaceous nodosaur-sauropod-dromaeosaur community being replaced by a hadrosaur-ceratopsian-ankylosaur-ornithomimid one.

Chapter nine looked at the latest Cretaceous, at the last dinosaurs and reasons for their extinction. Utah fossil-producing dinosaur country was at this time an elongated interior basin between mountain ranges. _Alamosaurus_, an animal that signaled the end of the "sauropod hiatus" (a lengthy period of time when sauropods were absent from North America) is a major fossil; apparently _Alamosaurus_ was a titanosaurid, a group that spread from South America to North America via a land connection that formed during the late Cretaceous. There is also _Torosaurus_, a ceratopsian not unlike the more familiar _Triceratops_ in appearance.

Chapter ten concluded with a look at paleontology and how the reader can become involved.

Dinosaurs of Utah is a fascinating book about life in the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. I think it has great knowledge on different species of dinosaurs and other marine creatures of the Mesozoic era. You will agree when you read and understand what Frank Decourten writes about. The photos and drawings are also interesting.

This book is about the dinosaurs of Utah (and dinosaurs found close enough to Utah that it can safely be presumed they crossed the border), but it is also second to none I've read as a discussion of U.S. dinosaurs in general if you're already brushed up on your dino basics (although not overly technical, the author does waste no time in getting down to business).

The book covers equally the great dinosaurs of the midwest - especially the Jurassic dinosaurs the area is world famous for - and their environment (an asset or a negative depending on your interests). A particular strength is that almost equal space is given to the more obscure species and their more famous counterparts when the fossil record warrants it. Gorgeous artwork clinches this work as a gem - certainly in my top 10 dino books.

Terrific. Intelligent and readable combination of palentology and geology of Utah. I used to live in SLC and visited eastern and southeastern Utah. The incredible vistas comprise the largest museum in the world. Wonderful to see in again in photos. The paintings of the Mesozoic are spectacular. This book deserves a place in your library, public or home.

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You'll know this book when you see it - the dust jacket features a toothy Allosaurus (Utah's official State Fossil) sporting yellow polka-dots. Barney he ain't.

Author Frank de Courten is a palaeontologist, formerly at the You of You, now at Sierra College in California. De Courten, with handlebar mustachio and cowboy hat, fits comfortably into the romantic image of a Dinologist, and he's well-aware of the popular appeal of the critters. Fortunately he's literate too (another pretty-common trait in the trade, thank heavens), and his prose reads smoothly, though you're going to have to be *seriously* interested to get through all 300 oversize pages...

But it's a beautiful book, nice heavy smooth paper, full cloth binding, lots of color photos, some really *outstanding* color plates by artist Carel van Kampen -- really, it's a lot of book for [the money]. At the very least, check it out from your library, and of course if there's a dino-lover on your gift list...

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman
Consulting Geologist, Tucson & Santa Fe (USA)