Arizona Books

I can't put my finger on it, but this is one of the books I keep next to my bed for when my soul is feeling black. It's simple, home-ey, powerful.

Also, if you happen to be from southern Arizona, it's good to get to know your neighbors a bit more.

When I feel like I'm in an urban jail, I remember the moon hanging over the Sea of Cortez in one poem, I and I remember there's so much more to the universe...

Apache Pass * Dragon Spring * The Devil's Highway * Oatman Flat * Morgan's Ferry * Whitlow's Crossing * The Butterfield Overland Trail * Filibuster Camp * Fort Misery * Brunckow Mine * Soldier Holes * Adamsville * Maricopa Wells * Fort Moroni * Berado's Station * General Cook Wagon Road

To western historians and lovers of the Old West, these places are deeply fascinating. Where there was only virgin wilderness, where there was no touch of the hand of man, some hardy forebear made an outpost of civilization in a new land. We want to know who they were, why they came, what their life was like, why they left. What people of history, famous or notorious, prominent or obscure, may have dwelled there or passed by? Even in these late days we yearn to reach out and touch it, see it, be a part of it ourselves.

Their place names are touched with romance - camp, well, pass, spring, flat, station - from the nation's western heritage in which Americans still have a deep interest. There are no more of them; words like subdivision, condominium, apartment, and suburb can never replace them.

To read these stories is to discover a past which many have never heard. -- from book's back cover

Excellent book. Very well written and could read the pain she suffered...the indignities. Shared this with a friend and she liked it too.

Just got my copy of this wonderful book! It is an amazing collection of poetry--- sort of pulls you out of yourself and into the space of real life. Intellectual and gritty all at the same time, it makes me glad I got enough of an education to really appreciate it! Sorry I don't read Spanish---some are in that language--if they're as good as the ones in English, I missed out. Hope more like this are on the way...

From The Oracle Speaks

The search for oneness and wisdom cannot be found through another but relies upon the responsibility and willingness of each one to develop the strength to return to the self. This book shares practical, effective and simple ways to purify oneself and reach enlightment. Upon this return, all skills based on love and truth arise and begin to manifest in one's life. The mastery leads to divinity - our destiny; a breakthrough for humanity.

This superbly edited compendium of expository and research articles by the finest planetary scientists in this speciality will fascinate all serious students of astronomy; there is much here for the physicist or meteorologist also. For example, an article on comparative atmospheric evolutions on Venus, Earth, and Mars clearly and cogently explains to the diligent reader the relationships among planetary size, the planet's ability to generate plate-tectonic activity, and the planet's evolved atmosphere. A section of color photographs, superb both in their attractiveness and their expository value, is included in this seminal work.

Reissue of John's "With Bitter Herbs...", on how humans learned how to incorporate poisonous`or bad tasting plants into their diets. Fascinating book, well worth reading.

Blends of environmental, science and philosophical thinking aren't usual, but here they come together to provide a satisfying survey of the earliest philosophies which provided the foundation of environmentalism. From social and economic influences in a post-war America which created the modern environmental movement to the development of 'land ethics' and economic foundations, THE ORIGINS OF MODERN ENVIRONMENTAL THOUGHT is a recommended college-level pick for any collection strong in science or social science.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

My father and I prefer to travel without planning too many days ahead of ourselves. We'd finished two nights of packing into Organ Pipe National Monument and still had a week ahead of us. We weren't sure what came next. East to Kofa National Wildlife Refuge? West to Tucson? Luckily, we found this godsend of a book sitting pretty in the visitor center store. I am sure this book is fast becoming the essential guide to packing in Arizona. I am almost afraid to recommend it because I am giving away so many well-kept secrets: Aravaipa Canyon, Sycamore Canyon, Picacho Peak, Angel Basin... some of the greatest lesser-known places in the Southwest. I have followed this guide down countless miles of forest road to some of my favorite hikes in the West. The guide is well-organized into four climate regions: desert, canyon, mountain, and urban "backyard" hikes for those who only have a few hours. Each description is captivating enough to convince you - and you will never want to leave life on the trail behind you.

I wasn't expecting much from this book so I was pleasantly surprised. I was afraid the funny stories would turn out to not translate well to text ("Well, I guess you had to be there"). The book is fun light reading, interspersed with casual discussion of the geology and formation of Grand Canyon layers and the canyon itself, and of the Anasazi who lived there and the artifacts that remain. Not to give any spoilers, but the sketch and story from the chapter titled "From Here You Can Be Seen Forever" is a hoot, as are the stories of hapless newbie hikers carting along everything from canned foods to crowbars to a hair dryer. ;-)

Makes me look forward to taking a tour with ICR someday. I've known a couple who visited Mt. St. Helens with them and they really enjoyed it.