Wyoming Books

This guidebook will help you to find each of the National Wildlife Refuges operated by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, in the Rocky Mountain states. There are a 3-4 pages for each refuge, focusing on its history, directions to get there, opportunities for driving, walking, and bicycling in the refuge, and a discussion of major wildlife species protected by each refuge, as well as some of the political issues surrounding certain refuges. I had hoped for some general information on Rocky Mountain wildlife; the book was not at all helpful for that, and had very few pictures or photgraphs of wildlife, but it did alert me to a refuge along the route of my upcoming vacation. So without the book I would have missed an opportunity for some spectacular wildlife viewing with only a 27-mile detour. The book accomplishes its purpose very well; I gave it only three stars because that purpose is very limited.

The book was ok, but as with all romance books, completly predictable and unreal. But if your looking for a feel good story, this is a book for you.

Devoted specifically to U.S. sources and resources--books that contain reference literature and source material of a localized nature--this is the first of two volumes listing genealogical books in print that deal with U.S. regions, states, counties, towns, and smaller municipalities. Consistent with the format of the other volumes in the opus, this work starts with coverage of the five major regions of the U.S.--New England, Mid-Atlantic, the South, the Mid-West, and the West--and proceeds alphabetically through the States of Alabama through New York; therein books are arranged under a statewide and regional heading or by county, in alphabetical order. Besides the standard listings, many entries contain brief descriptions of the books; and in a number of cases, where books have been produced or reprinted by two or more vendors, the reader has a choice of formats and prices to choose from.

For several summers I carried the first edition (1973) of the Sierra Club Totebook - Hiking the Teton Backcountry. Long ago I misplaced my guidebook, but recently I found a copy at a local library book sale.

Pocket size, low weight, and durability were its key attributes. The trail descriptions were perhaps too concise, but overall it was a useful guide in the 1970s. Today, this out-of-date, little 160-page book is amusing, and may appeal to collectors.

The sections on hiking gear, food, and trail safety illustrate how much has changed. We are advised that a canteen is not essential as running water is plentiful; no mention is made of treating, filtering, or boiling stream and lake water. Terry stitched socks, either cotton or synthetic fibers, are considered more comfortable than heavy wool socks. Long pants of wool or cotton twill are best. A light down jacket is preferable to bulky, wool sweaters. Packs with light weight, magnesium frames are recommended for heavy loads. A good quality goose down sleeping bag will cost $80 or more. Tents should not be viewed as luxury items as tarps offer too little protection in high mountain country. A tough, light weight, nylon poncho coated with plastic resin is highly recommended. A flashlight is essential; no mention is made of headlamps.

The author, Paul Lawrence, mentions trail foods by brand name: Tang, Milkman (a more palatable powered milk), Perma-Pak (a creamy, powered milk product), Granola cereal, Darigold canned butter, Wilson's bacon bars, Wyler's fruit-ades, Mount Logan bread, and Pilot Biscuits. There is a discussion of "today's wide variety of freeze dried entrees". Lawrence recommends Mountain House products. Bleuet butane stoves are easy to use, but white gas stoves like Svea and Optimus are better at low temperatures.

For those looking for a more current guidebook, I suggest Teton Trails - A Guide to the Trails of Grand Teton National Park by Katy Duffy and Darwin Wile. It offers detailed trail descriptions and updated information on hiking gear, backcountry rules and etiquette.

Be aware that the title of this book is misleading. For example, I was interested in how this subject related to Ontario County, NY, to aid me with genealogical work. You have to read the preface to find out that, instead of 1 book, this work was scheduled to be broken into a total of 4. This book being the 1st of the series, I have been unable to find the other 3 (in particular, that involving Ontario County entitled, "Phelps & Gorham's Purchase - Ontario & Yates" being book 3 of 4 in the series). His work regarding each of the counties mentioned in the title apparently were relegated to "supplement" status, appearing in the back of each book (as was the case with the 1st one, involving the County of Monroe, NY). Even the Table of Contents appeared at 461 of this book (in front of the Appendix). All in all, while the general historical information is good, I generously gave it a 3 of 5 stars as regards what I was looking for. Quite frankly, I think I could have gotten as much information if I'd have just gone on-line to www.ancestry.com's historical on-line books...

As a professional, I found the book to be somewhat illuminating. For example, I understood why a colleague in another part of the state insisted that I prescribe certain drugs to a patient who needed them, rathen then him, himself. However, at most parts, the details are far too discrete. This leads to speculation, which is unfair to both the professional and the public. To say that the professional is required to have psychiatric care while practicing medicine without details, opens up all sorts of speculation that could harm the doctor - patient relationship unnecessarily.

Jana Harris, We Never Speak of It: Idaho-Wyoming Poems, 1889-90 (Ontario Review, 2003)

We Never Speak of It starts out with a bang, as good poetry books probably should; "Crossing Lava Creek," a poem that (and I feel like this is a spoiler) describes what can only be a tornado coming out of nowhere, but doing it in such a way that it's hard to tell it's anything but an everyday storm. Just, in other words, in the voice of its eleven-year-old narrator.

What happens after this is really the deciding factor as to whether this book is or is not one of the best books of poetry I've read in the past few years, and I still haven't figured that out. Either Harris is so in tune with her subjects, and manages to use the diction in which they speak, so much that the time period in which these poems take place becomes second nature, or the poems themselves slide into the realm of the good rather than the realm of the fantastic. (The end result is the same; everything that comes after "Crossing Lava Creek" seems rather an anticlimax, even the other storms.) The difference between the two is whether it's a conscious trick of technique (as in, say, the novels of Cormac McCarthy) or whether familiarity, in this case, bred contempt. I am more than willing to give Harris the benefit of the doubt, and wouldn't have even considered the other possibility save that such a talent is so very rare; as readers of McCarthy will attest, using such a rhythm so that it is both effortless for the author and for the reader is even more rare. If that really is what's happening here (and reading a few more books by Harris, which has shot up my list of priorities as I made my way through this, should tell me if it is), then, as is becoming increasingly common in the past few years, I have uncovered another seemingly overlooked gem in the pantheon, another poet whose work is in desperate need of being read by, well, anyone and everyone. If not, it's a book chock full of good, solid work, and should be read at least by those with a liking for poetry, for history, and especially for the combination of the two.

This rating may go way up in the future. *** ½

The Wyoming Corporate Handbook repeats a lot of the material that Gary Sutton has published. It does a great job communicating the basics but I would have preferred to learn more about Wyoming. I would purchase "How to use Limited Liability Companies and Limited Partnerships" by Gary Sutton.

Spur heads to the Wyoming wilderness to track down two missing government surveyors. Barely escaping with his life after a savage bushwhacking it looks like a land hungry rancher and his trigger-happy gunmen might complete the job. But Spur McCoy won't go down without a fight. No matter what it took, Spur would find the missing men...

After a gripping first chapter this entry into the Spur series was a bit of a let down. For me it seemed like a couple of different short story ideas had been hobbled together to make a longer read.

Dirk Fletcher gives the reader a fast paced, easy to read, none complicated book. There's plenty of action of more than one kind - the Spur series is an adult series - that should satisfy most readers looking for a quick, entertaining read, but if you want a bit more depth to the plot then I'd suggest you try elsewhere.

There are 10 water shots in this calendar. Sorry. That's just too many. 5 of the water shots have a mountain range reflected in the water. Pointing to a lack of imagination on someone's part. 6 of the shots have a pink/orange tint. I prefer green, blue and browns in my wild and scenics. tbh. I don't even think the snow shots are particularly good scenes. The cover photo is the best of all the photos. Wyoming is obviously a beautiful state. It needs a better interpreter.

Why did I buy it? I liked the wide open vistas. But the photographer has tried too hard to `artistically frame' each photo and that spoils the calendar for me. (A lone buffalo? Don't make me laugh.)

I recommend W&S Kentucky. Still the best for 2008.