Utah Books

This is a very short book but very informative. I couldn't put it down. Once again, Llewellyn holds up his end of the bargain and does very well. It's a good story but very sad that something like this actually happens and still, no one does anything about this cult. Yes, there are some crazies in every cult or religion but this cult is consistently crazy in the fact that they blindly follow anything. Buy this book. You won't regret it.

John Llewellyn possesses a unique insider's view of both the law enforcement world and polygamist culture. His investigative background and journalistic expertise combine in this fascinating, compelling and entertaining work. The characterizations are both believable and ironic and the plot is unique and intriguing.

but coming from a polygamist background myself, I see that the author has mixed up and disstorted a lot of facts. One fact that is kept very quiet is that Mr. Llewellyn was for a number of years a member of the apostolic united bretheren, a polygamist group located in Bluffdale, UT. Also, he only left after being rebuffed while trying to court a second wife. His story sure has changed!! I was born in Colorado City and have friends and family in 3 different polygamist groups and know a lot of the true stories. It is true that the Kingston group and the Colorado CIty bunch engage in forced marriages, and incest...

The author may not be a John Steinbeck, it's his first novel, but with a little more experience, he could be. Nevertheless, his knowledge of the subject is beyond dispute. The novel made front page review in the Salt Lake Tribune, and the author has been interviewed on national and local television. Murder of a Prophet has caused quite a stir in Utah, especially among the 60,000 odd polygamists believed to live in Utah and the surronding states. According to the Tribune, it has been banned in the polygamist communities of Colorado City, Arizona and Hildale, Utah. The story, which incidently is very good, gives the reader a peek in the minds of polygamists prone to violence, which is not an unusual scenario in Utah. I was raised in a polygamist family, rejected the religon, but still have contacts among the subculture. Utah polygamists, paranoid by nature, are doing what they can to discredit both the author and his story, which is why I read it. They are afraid it paints all polygamists as abusers. It dosen't. It is an intense story about abuse of power and demented cult mentality. The polygamists would rather cover up their dark side than deal with it. It is interesting that those most critical of the book have read it cover to cover and are in the process of writing their own book, that is suppose to counteract Murder of a Prophet.

This book is very interesting (at least for someone who has lived in the area all his life and seen many of the sites it mentions)and convincing. As one of the earlier reviews reflects - and as the book itself clearly expects - this interpretation of the evidence highly offends those for whom ideology trumps acheology. The books' tone is rather dry; this is written as a scholarly work, not a popularization, and may not be exciting reading except for archeology majors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michael Kelsey is notorious for inaccurate information. He'll review hikes he's never done, list canyon entry and exit points he's never attempted. He's all about speed. He races through areas in order to spew out his next book without actually taking the time to experience the canyons through which he's rushing. He covers a lot of ground, but sees little. I do like the pictures of him in tube socks and cut-offs, though. If you're lucky, there may even be a picture of him in beefeaters.

This is an excellent - and inexpensive - reference for Canyonlands and the Green River. We used it for referencing information about the area we trekked by canoe from Mineral Bottom on the Green to Spanish Bottom on the Colorado.

The history is very interesting and adds a lot of neat insights into the places you visit and the things you see along the way. Tamarisk has overgrown a few of the referenced campsites, but the river is an ever changing place - don't expect anything in print to be 100% accurate for long.

Overall - an outstanding book for the price! Definitely order it if you're hiking or boating the Canyonlands.

Having just returned from a 9 day canoe trip through the Stillwater Canyon on the Green River, I can honestly say that this book added a great deal of enjoyment to the trip. Every float day began with a reading from the book to explain the history of each bottom as we passed by. The hiking descriptions were what one expects from Kelsey: great if you are experienced and use it as a guide, lacking if you need your hand held the whole way. Get this book if you are canoeing the flat waters of Canyonlands. (In general I find the Belknap guide book easier to use for actual river navigation.)

This book is great, especially if you're a hiker, but whitewater rafters wont find info in here on Cataract.

This book is so popular with rockhounder's and has been used so extensively, that the sites depicted have been virtually picked clean. Readers should use this book as a general location reference and search elsewhere for collectable material.

I found the book to be very useful in finding sites to look for rocks and fossils during a recent trip to Utah. The directions to the sites were clear, and advice on conditions helpful. All of the sites I visited (10-12)were as described and productive, particularly when viewed as jumping off points to explore. The only thing I would ask for are more sites and a wider variety of things to look for. Two weeks more of vacation would be nice, as well. While I'm asking, gas money and a mailer to avoid carrying 25 lbs. of rocks home on the plane...

I found this book very useful in exploring the different sites in Utah. I have only been to a few sites but was not disappointed in the results. One should read the Forward/Intro section. It has good tips on the Utah and it's climate that literally could be a life saver.
The author has put a real effort in listing the different sites and given good directions. I like the site format including the elevation and the best time to collect. I used it to visit Utah in early March and petrified wood from sand creek. I have given the book a four star rating due to it's age. It was published in 1996 so it's seven years old at this writing. the Utah sites still seem to be intact compared to the sites in New Mexico and Colorado. As I have suggested in my other reviews I would like to see GPS Coordinates for Main turn offs and the initial starting points at a collecting site. The forest service/BLM has a habit of closing roads. and there are Vandals that deface signs right when you need them the most. I also use the GPS Data for mapping software at home before the trip. preplanning at home beats driving 10 miles of washboard and dust on the wrong road.

I found this book to be very helpful in finding rock-collecting sites in Utah. It has directions to the collecting sites, information about near by attractions, tools needed, elevations, driving conditions and best time of year to go. I use the book religiously when I'm out and about. I give it a 4 star rating, and could have been a 5 star rating had the pictures of the rock specimen been in color, instead of black and white =)

I hate doing this kind of review but I think it's only fair to others. The people who wrote this book seem to be so nice I gave them an extra star. However I've lived in Utah some 64 years and have prowled the entire state in detail and I can honestly say that there is little that is recognizable about our spectacular red rock country as portrayed here. The book needs really decent maps and even a few photos and a far more easy to follow "visits" for any other visitors. I honestly anticipated reading this and scraped up to buy a new copy but alas...

Romancing The Mesas is filled with the passion usually found in romance novels. Only in this one,
the object of the affair is the timeless and unique beauty of the red mesas of Southern Utah. It's
also a story about the Mormon pioneers who settled the area and the hardships they endured. I grew up in Virgin,Utah and knew Ruth and Russell. Romancing The Mesas is clearly a labor of love.

I haven't experienced a better book in many years! Romancing the Mesa's is a wonderful first hand account of what the settlers had to endure to carve out a life in southern Utah. It's told to a British family by those who lived it or by story passed down from their relatives. I was caught up in the emotion, amazed, and amused by almost every tale. What a wonderful legacy of family history and beautiful account of pioneering life. Truly, I have been romanced by "Romancing the Mesa's". Many thanks to the authors.
Randy Stewart

I haven't experienced a better book in many years! Romancing the Mesa's is a wonderful first hand account of what the settlers had to endure to carve out a life in southern Utah. It's told to a British family by those who lived it or by story passed down from their relatives. I was caught up in the emotion, amazed, and amused by almost every tale. What a wonderful legacy of family history and beautiful account of pioneering life. Truly, I have been romanced by "Romancing the Mesa's". Many thanks to the authors.
Randy Stewart

This book has a certain realism that compelled me to keep reading and reading. I wanted to know where it was taking me. From keg parties to ward parties, from acid trips to child birth everything in this book is very real, perhaps a bit too real for some. The author drew me into the scenes and characters which a language and style that was easy to read, very descriptive. I could tell the author was telling this story from the heart.

I had Harrell as an English Professor in 2002 and I was excited about his up coming book. He is one of the most captivating teachers I have met and one of the most captivating writers I have ever been taught by. The book is excellent and I look forward to many more.

The characters were depthless and the situations are trite. The protagonist goes back and forth between desiring righteousness and embracing sin that you are never fully convinced of his moral conversion in the end. The contradictions in the novel are so staggering that you will become dizzy with stream-of-consciousness that falls flat.

That doesn't mean this book doesn't have redeeming qualities. I was pleased to see some variety from the stock "goody-goody" Mormon characters, and there is a lot of subtle symbolism that might help people who feel they don't fit the classic mold of what is good but are still good people.

I just thought the book was poorly written and the editing of the storyline was severely lacking. For an adult novel, the writing was surprisingly juvenile. I expected more from a creative writing English professor.

Vernal Promises by Jack Harrell is an impressive work of Mormon literature that speaks of an ordinary man who sees everything positive as coming with a cost. Jacob Dennison is beset by mixed morals at every turn, his test of faith is to follow his one inner voice, even though the cost could push him to the brink of ruin and take a greater toll than he imagined possible. A compelling narrative about complicated choices, Vernal Promises is an impressive novel and documents Jack Harrell as a master storyteller able to grasp the attention and interest of his reader from first page to last.

A fantastic reference book that makes back country exploring not only possible for anyone at any desired level of difficulty (or not), but also great fun. This book rolls trail information & descriptions , places and history, for the whole state, into one comprehensive book; great value for money.

This book like the first one, is a comprehensive guide to the Utah back roads. Anyone who is interested in driving the back roads must have this book.

4wd Adventures is a monstrous book. Seriously, this thing has to weigh a couple of pounds. It comes loaded with historical information, information on nature, and some nice maps.

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Well, I'm a bit iffy on this encyclopedic compendium. Let me tell you why, when I first arrived in Moab I talked with a bunch of fourwheelers and asked them where they were headed. They told me I have to check out the Sands Flat Rec. area. Honestly, I blew them off. Why? Well, I had this huge book full of trails. What did they know that my 4wd Adventures couldn't tell me? So I pick out the best of the best of Moab and go driving around some trails. Overall I was disappointed. The trails had some fun spots (I'm talking mainly the ones located within the Arches), and it was lovely to see, but overall...ehhh, I wouldn't do it again. I head back to my hotel and remember my earlier discussion with the fourwheelers, and I decide to check it out. I couldn't believe my eyes.

With their help, I had found the Slickrock Trails. This is the spot that helped put Moab on the map! Why in the world was it not included in this book? Everything else was! This area is a gem, and absolute marvel. But the book? Basically, the book was a real let down, especially for the price I paid. Note, I haven't tried much of the other trails, but a good portion of them are rated as 1, 2, and 3 on the difficulty level, which can be likened to driving up your dirt driveway. I'm not one of those maniacal fourweelers with the giant tires and portable welding kits, but I was surprised by how much of this book I don't really need.

Want my advice? Skip this one and check out the Guide To Moab, UT Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails by Charles A. Wells, Shelley Mayer.

As a long-time WordPerfect user I wanted the opportunity to learn about the history behind one of my favourite computer programs. Perhaps this is more necessary for me than for many in the U.S. because I'm from Australia, which is a little far away from where some of the early action took place.

From that perspective, it's very interesting to read about the evolution of the product through various versions. Of course, the Wikipedia article on WordPerfect has more-or-less the same information, but nothing compares to Peterson's dramatic telling of the to-ing and fro-ing between departments to actually achieve this end.

Unfortunately, this book is no longer in print form. A full text can, however, be found online.

The politics between Alan, Bruce and Pete towards the end, when Pete is forced out of the company, is of interest, but as always there are many sides to the story. The highlight of this book for me was seeing WordPerfect grow.

W. E. Peterson joined Word Perfect in 1980 as a part-time office manager, and left as Executive VP of Sales in 1992. He says their success was based partly on luck: the right circumstances at the right time. They depended on their own efforts and finances, not on burning up borrowed money; did this concentrate their efforts on success?

He says "reliability was more important than price" (p.41). A word processor is a means to an end, not an end in itself. A $1500 product can be less costly than a $500 product that breaks down more, once you include the effect of losses.

Page 60 says the demise of word processing departments in the mid 1980s was unexpected. This happened to key-punch departments a decade earlier. Will Internet E-mail reduce the market for word processors in turn?

The problem of printer support in WP was solved by the use of tables; but this resulted in slower printing. Isn't it better to use separate executable modules for each printer family?

One very important item of their success was their evaluation of their product by consulting with the secretaries who used it. This is much better than an ad-hoc committee of non-users.

His evaluation of other companies (p.100) is interesting. Using a "lines of code" rule alone may result in bloated and redundant code, which can lead to higher maintenance, overhead, and support costs.

His story of the "free Hawaii trip" (pp.131-2) illustrates the difference between "goals" and "objectives". A fixed cash bonus is a goal, a Hawaii trip an objective.

In July 1991 Pete was informed that he "was too hard on people and too many people were afraid" of him. He seems to have ignored this warning. The stress of the delayed release may have been affecting a lot of people. If the VP of Development was giving lectures from a book, could this have caused the delay? Does this show a problem in a "flat management" philosophy? Is it correct for any large company? Can reading a book safeguard a company from Microsoft? Note that this clash of personalities did not occur when WP was profitable. "Victory has a thousand fathers", falling sales has a thousand finger pointers.

This is a perfect book for those aspiring entrepreneuers on lessons of both starting a company and managing one. Never letting down his guard and sticking by his own way of doing things, Peterson's pivotal point to leave the company came in the midst of too much control for one person to handle. Peterson though was able to handle the decisions for many years to his credit and definately seemed the driving force in providing overall profitability in the company.

Look interesting and informative for people who are planning to go to Escalante soon. Good resource. I saw Bryce and Zion Parks on my first trip to Utah- can't wait to go back The escalante looked so beautiful even though I only saw part of it on the way to Capitol Reef National Park

This book is divided into three sections; Cedar Mesa in SW Utah, The Escalante Canyon and Grand Staircase-Paria Canyon. The Escalante-Grand Staircase hikes range in length and difficultly. Included are the following hikes:
Upper calf Creek Falls -2m
Lower Calf Creek Falls-6.2m
Devils Garden-.07m
Fortymile Ridge to Sunset Arch-3m
Willow Gulch to Broken Bow Arrow-4m
Kodachrome Basin's Panorama Trail-2.9-5.4m
Cottonwood Canyon Narrows-3m
Willis Creek Narrows-4.8m
Lick Wash-8m
Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch-3.4m
and 9 hikes in the SW area of Utah

This book might be good for getting ideas on where to hike, but some of the information contained in it is not accurate, or lacks sufficient detail. For example, the author fails to mention that a permit to hike Wire pass to Buckskin Gulch must usually be obtained 3 months ahead of time. Also, the directions to Sunset Arch are different than any other guide book. (?) He also fails in giving accurate campground information. There are many more camping opportunities than what he mentions. I would advise consulting other guide books before setting off on any of the hikes and would not use this book for trip planning.

This is a streamlined version of Adkison's lengthier book about the national monument, but is perfect for the short hikes in this beautiful region. It has everything a pocket guidebook should have: clear descriptions, mileage, elevations, maps, and ratings. This is my favorite guidebook for the Grand Staircase whenever I do short hikes.

This guide was perfect for my two days of hiking at Alta in August 2006. As a purely recreational hiker traveling alone, this book was the ideal companion.

This book is a must have if you're a hiker near the Salt Lake City area. It's great for the novice hiker, families with smaller children, or nine-to-fivers like myself trying to pick up a quick hike on weekdays before or after work. All of the routes in this book have two conveniences in common. None of the trailheads are more than an hours drive from the bottom of the canyon, and none of the hikes are more than a few miles round trip. This makes it really easy to knock of several hikes a season. Most of them average about one hour of hiking time. Brian Brinkerhoff also does a great job of describing what kind of terrain to expect. Some of the included hikes are paved for easy wheelchair and stroller access, or for the ease of beginning trail runners worried about their ankles. Several on Brinkerhoff's list includes highlights such as waterfalls, alpine lakes, and even some mining ruins, concentrating on the little and big cottonwood canyon areas.

Brinkerhoff's little guide is just the right size for stuffing into the pocket of your cargo shorts or daypack, and it covers a fair sampling of short and easy South Salt Lake City and American Fork area hikes especially suited for hikers with limited abilities or families with small children. Also, the brief hike descriptions, with trailhead info, trail notes, distance and hiking time estimates, are generally helpful and reliable. But this book falls short of its potential, for it could easily have been greatly improved without sacrificing its convenient size or adding much to its cost simply by adding a few more details to some of the hike descriptions, extending the coverage a bit to include a few more popular and spectacular local hikes, and especially, by improving the trail maps.

Having hiked every trail in the book, many with this text (and others) in hand, I routinely found myself correcting or supplementing Brinkerhoff's cursory trail descriptions and hand-drawn maps (which are currently little more than wiggly dotted lines with a few essential features like paved roads, trailheads and lakes) with such things as as elevation, distance, topography and terrain notes, maps of converging trails, and occasionally, minor corrections. Admittedly, some of the trails covered in the book don't actually require anything more than instructions to the trailhead, but most of them connect with other trails the reader might want either to follow or avoid, and in such cases better descriptions and maps would be a genuine help. And since the book is so small (and admirably so, for it is by far the most portable of the many Utah trail books available), it could easily have been expanded to cover a greater number of short and popular local trails--like Ensign Peak, Provo's Rock Canyon, and a host of candidates from Sandy and Millcreek Canyon. As it is, despite the title, the text really only covers Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons and American Fork Canyon (with the inclusion of a single trail in Pleasant Grove under the American Fork Canyon section).

In my opinion, improvements of the kind I have mentioned would have made the book a much more serviceable text without adding significantly to either its bulk or price, and thus, should have been included. As it stands, I recommend "Best Easy Day Hikes SLC" as the best available short and cheap guide to easy Wasatch area trails, but a serious hiker will prefer something like David Day's "Utah's Favorite Hiking Trails," Steve Mann's "100 Hikes in Utah," or John Veranth's "Hiking the Wasatch," all of which are infinitely more informative and helpful--but also bigger and pricier. Or buy this for it's convenient size, and then supplement the applicable entries before your trip with important details from the bigger and better books. Hopefully, a reworked edition will soon save you the trouble.