Nevada Books

This book would be a good intro for beginners but there are many books already there. For those with more knowledge of the Sierras the old book had more cross country routes and many of the trips involved some off trail. This new edition is all trail (as far as I know) and that ruined the book a lot. The 7th edition did not have maps like the new one and had they only done it would have been much better. Also, for anyone who is planning a serious backpacking trip into the Sierras you will have to get a topo map anyway so it's better to have the trailheads organized by name rather than by road (or maybe combine both).

All in all, this is nowhere as good as the old 7th edition and I'm glad I had the hardback version of it. I will look for another one unless the 9th editions brings back the many wonderful x-c trips of the 7th edition

Sierra South is another one of those irreplaceable Wilderness Press guides. For anyone hiking in the southern Sierras, this is the must have book. The eighth edition is about 12 years later than my 6th edition, and has taken advantage of the advances in printing technology. There are good maps imbedded in the book, gray shading to highlight text of special interest, and gray section tabs visible on the edge of the book.

The book starts out with good basic information for anyone hiking in the wilderness. For example, one tip that I would have applied last week was to do stream crossings angled upstream, so that the force of the water will not cause your knees to buckle. Since we didn't have this info yet, my wife and I angled downstream, and the force of the water caught her by surprise, causing the bottom of her pack to hit the water.

The organization is now by state access highway, Highway 41, 198, etc. This is useful for quickly determining practical two or three day trips. The book is now 6 by 9 instead of 4.5 by 8, so you will probably resort to cutting out the trip you choose, and carry it with you.The larger size allows more photographs and easier to read text. As in the old book, there are elevation profiles for each trip route. It looks to me as if they have extended the coverage slightly farther north, as my old book didn't have the highway 41 trips. For those GPS enabled hikers you will find gps waypoints for destinations and significant junctions.

When I read through Sierra South, it seems like there are a lot more destinations than in the old book, but the new book has 84 trips, and the old one 100 trips. In any event, the new book can keep you busy for many summers.

My one suggestion for future editions is that the overall map give some indication of where Highway 41 is. I had to check the old Sierra North map.

If you are going to hike the southern Sierra, this is a book you need to have.

Even though TW has "retired" and they've changed the name (made obligatory by the elimination of the even 100 hikes in previous editions) this information packed volume is still the best all around (with the companion Sierra North) hiking guide covering the Sierra Nevada in print today. This edition is organized a little differently and the spiffy fold out map is missing from the back cover but the same reliable and up to date information is available for both arm chair hiking and trip planning.

A great many of the same routes are included as were in the previous volumes and it appears they have been updated with current (and depressing) requlatory requirements and accurate descriptions of the state of repair or disrepair of primitive camp sites and historic markers. Additional trips are included that appear to be more "moderate". Again up to date trail and camp site information along with hazards and fishing data are included.

The only caveat I would add is to take the somewhat nostalgic pining for the "good old days" with a grain of salt. While it's true water quality degradation has made mandatory the use of filters or other types of purification and black bears (and too many friggin' hikers) have forced more and more regulations and quotas on a land that once was wide open for exploration; there's still more "wild" here than in just about any other locale in the country. And that's the same stuff that's drawn legions of backpackers, mountaineers and naturalists ever since John Muir "discovered" it over a hundred years ago. It's still there waiting for you...

My copy of this book is nearly destroyed from all the use it receives. This book is not just for winter. Many of the tours described have also turned out to be excellent mountain bike routes and hiking trips. The descriptions of the areas the routes traverse could be expanded, but the route information itself is first class.

Sufficient detail and a whole lot of information - perhaps too much information, it's a thick book - to plan ski tours, generally for lightweight touring gear, e.g. classic Nordic skis or 3-pin tele's. Alpine riders seeking vertical ft look for George Hurchalla's book.

I had the first (1985) edition and find the second (1995) edition greatly expanded. It went from 78 to 102 tours in 167 to 256 pages. The maps are more detailed--about 2 inches per mile instead of 1 inch. I find more detailed descriptions of side trips than before.

The tours are described with a mileage log instead of a narrative format. I find it easier to find where I am in this format.

The only thing I would add is an index, but due to its detailedness, I still rate the book excellent and worth buying, even if you have the old edition.

What a remarkable collection. Its really a meditation on existence. This is a museum of life in all its sadness and beauty.

My favorite type of prose are written by poets. Reading Kate Braverman is like filling on a rich desert. I am reminded of Jeanette Winterson and Arhundati Roy. It is hard to find such deeply poetic prose today. This is not a grocery store paperback--it requires slow reading and it is worth every minute. It is a feast of words and images and ideas.

Kate Braverman's ingenious writing shouts and sings a high skill at poesy and narrative. I think many of her readers are attracted primarily to her imagery and metaphors. There is a sameness at the center of her stories -- illness, death, putrefaction, decline. These brilliant stories follow the trend, and Braverman leans toward epic prose poems. Her characters are memorable in one way, similar in another. What I admore most about her is her intensely evocative setting in LA, proving once more that place can pass for story. If you love clean, spare writing with a strong narrative element and distinctive characters developing new and original themes, these stories are not for you. But if you want gorgeous poems set to prose, gobble it up.

A very through, informative foray into the world of political activism from a single mother's point of view. The stories of courage in this book can often get poignant. Reading "Growing up in Mississippi" by Anne Moody alongside this most definitely contributed to it.

Storming Caesar's Palace follows a group of mothers on welfare as they fought to create one of the most successful community organizations in the history of the War on Poverty, delivering everything from health care to hot lunches to library services to thousands of children and adults in Las Vegas. Orleck focuses on years of research and interviews to tell the story through the women's own words, from their childhoods in Louisiana, through the black migration West, into the War on Poverty, the 70s and the Carter administration, and then through the Reagan cutback years. This is a great book for anyone interested in African-American history, women's history, or history of politics, welfare and poverty in the last 40 years, and it's also inspiring and accessible to college and even high school readers. The only flaw is in the editing; several interviews appear more than once, a bit disconcerting in a story that's purportedly chronologically organized, and the same goes for turns of phrase and whole sentences. Small drawbacks in an otherwise impressive work.

Ms. Orleck has written quite a book: it is important as history and social commentary, it is instructive for organizers and activists and it is a heart warming story of the beloved Ruby Duncan and her associates who faced adversity, poverty and discrimination with intelligence, resourcefulness and courage. They fought an uphill bsttle for human rights and economic justice in Las Vegas, and they had some very significant victories. Lastly, it is inspiring, it spiritually recharges the reader to take on today's injustices. Though the author is a scholar of some distinction, the book is very readable and is told in the participants own words so it is very immediate and straightforward. It is wonderfully suitable for high school and college aged discussion groups in school or faith based organiztions. You'll never forget Ruby Duncan. Highly recommended for entertainment, instruction, inspiration or all three!

The fourth edition of this book is a vast improvement on the initial release (3 editions ago). If you are looking for a complete trail guide to the Tahoe Basin, this is the one you want.

This book was one of the first that my wife and I bought upon coming to California in 1980. It has since fallen into at least ten pieces from overuse. This new version is also excellent.

There is a level of detail throughout that we appreciate, providing an interesting, experienced viewpoint and guide. We also like the way the different regions are highlighted. Sometimes we just head off to one of the regions and find a trail that looks interesting.

Enjoy!

Wilderness Press hit a high mark with their Sierra North and Sierra South books. This comprehenisve guide to the Lake Tahoe Sierra is to be commended for being very comprehensive, containing 112 hikes that touch on all corners of the Tahoe area. The descriptions sparkle much more than than the typical dry text in these sort of guides as well.

Unfortunately the book could stand to improve its layout and maps, especially the all-important master map pages that clue you in to where hikes are located. Also, the individual trail maps are often nowhere near the text for the trip. Hopefully a future edition will improve upon the book's layout.

I had a short time to spend in the backcountry and needed some succinct guidance for choosing the best trail for my time and experience levels. The 100 Hikes guide filled the bill - got me from Reno to the Sand Ridge Trail. The trail guide and map was way ahead of the material I picked up at the Forest Service Ranger station and I had a great two nights on trails that were just right for the equipment I had with me. Well written, guide from guys who've obviously been there on the ground. I'd even buy the book someday if the library copy is checked out next time I'm heading for northern California. Dick Williams 10-30-97

Details the flora and landscape of the hike; degree of difficulty of hike in a straight forward, useful manner. I have used the book for several day hikes in the Lake Tahoe and Bay Area and the book has helped make the hikes enjoyable and fun. Heed the degree of difficulty listing, they are accurate.

BUY IT and ENJOY!!!!!!!!

this is a cycle of interrelated poems following the life and times of an amiable stoner named naatsi from his days on haight street in san francisco (circa mid-to-late 1960's) on up to south dakota and the clinton years. really these are miniature short stories, poetic vignettes that add up to a deep and satisfying portrait of an individual. nothing pretentious here at all (thank God). poetry that is enjoyable and moving, and actually about something. i highly recommend it.

An exceptional trip down the stoned, yellow-brick road of memory. I was in San Francisco in the late 1960's and these poems brought it all back--yeah, it was a real flashback. The sadness and beauty of it all. If you were there, get this book. Peace.

I just finished reading Beyond the Glimmering Lights: The Pride And Perseverance of African americans in Las Vegas.

Using memories of her Aunt Magnolia for structure, Ms. Geran paints a vivid picture of what it was like to be African American in Las Vegas between the periods of 1940s and the 1960s.

As a fairly recent newbie to Las Vegas, this book provided a very interesting and insightful look at the history of African Americans in the area and the role they played in the shaping of an intergrated Las Vegas.

It is a very easy read and I highly recommend it :)

I eagerly await the next book by Trish Geran.

Beyond the Glimmering Lights is a very unique book that takes a look into the segregated past of Las Vegas. Author Trish Geran shows through the experiences of her Aunt Magnolia that there is more to Las Vegas than the bright lights. A wonderful read that show the perseverance of the African American community. Through the brilliant efforts of celebrities such as Sammy Davis Jr., Josephine Baker and the general community they were able to tear down the racial boundaries and helped shape America's playground.

THIS BOOK WAS ONE THAT I COULD PUT DOWN WITH NO PROBLEM. IT WAS JUST O.K. THERE WERE PARTS OF THE BOOK THAT WERE BORING, BORING, BORING.

Las Vegas bookmaker Bruce Weinstein was immediately enamored of the diminutive brunette, Amy DeChant when he met her in October of 1995 at The Mirage poker room. He bought her a car, a beautiful diamond necklace, purchased a carpet-cleaning business for her, and took very good care of her. Bruce Weinstein, was described as "the kind guy you loved to hate and hated to love." When the wealthy, 46-year-old 300 pound risk-taker suddenly disappeared July 5, 1996 from his Las Vegas home, Amy DeChant, his 48-year-old live in lover was the prime suspect. Amy said Bruce left at 11:00pm, to go out -- but his family suspected foul play. Why? Because he was always in bed by 9 or 10, the cellular telephone that was his link to his wealthy bookmaking business remained in the house, as did his beeper and an American Express card - "He never left home without it." But how could DeChant -- at 5-foot-1 and 110 pounds, and suffering a bad hip, carry the burly body of her lover out of posh house they shared? The police listed him as a MISSING PERSON, but his family knew something was amiss. They posted a $50,000 reward leading to the recovery of Weinstein's body and arrest of the killer and hired private investigator, Mike Wysocki, to delve deeper. After the investigator discovered blood on the underside of the mattress in the bookmaker's bedroom, Las Vegas Metro began a murder investigation. The remains of the 46-year-old bookmaker were discovered Aug. 11, 1996, in a makeshift grave about 60 miles north of Las Vegas, in an isolated spot in the desert near Mesquite, where it was carefully covered with rocks. Because the body was badly decomposed, it took investigators until September to make a positive identification using Weinstein's dental records. Immediately, the investigation focused on two people: DeChant, who operated a carpet-cleaning business, and Robert Wayne Jones, her employee. Why? Amy disappeared the day after the killing and was stopped by police in Maryland. In her car was more than $100,000 in cash, false birth certificates, wigs and information on obtaining false identification. Also, police investigators found blood stains in the freshly cleaned carpets of Weinstein's home after searching for clues to his mysterious disappearance. Her brother posted a $5,000 cash bail for her after she had spent @ 2 months in jail, but after being released on bail, she fled again. DeChant changed her story several times about the events leading to Weinstein's disappearance. Her story to police now was that vindictive, masked, "New York-looking type guys" actually were the killers and they allowed her to live only if she cleaned up the bloody death scene and kept quiet. Why? Amy said the four masked men entered the house, said they were going to "teach Bruce a lesson," then killed him and took away his body (leaving some bloody spots in the house that she was told to clean). Hummm! Also missing is Robert Wayne Jones, 57, who vanished on July 12, 1996, without clothing, money, even a toothbrush. Weinstein's family has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to his whereabouts. He was on the lam for almost a year, but was later found and arrested in New Mexico. DeChant, disappeared in September 1997 after she and Robert Jones were charged with Weinstein's murder by a grand jury. She was profiled on America's Most Wanted and a tip from a viewer watching the program led to her capture. DeChant was tracked down in January, 1998, in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where she was worked as a bartender at two South Florida establishments. She was arrested at the home of a Port St. Lucie man who ran a commercial cleaning service! At her 1998 trial, Deputy District Attorney Ed Kane portrayed DeChant as a "dominating person" who never took no for an answer and was determined to get her hands on Weinstein's wealth no matter what it took. When she couldn't manipulate control of the money from the illegal bookmaking operation, he contended, she killed him and took it. He also said Robert Wayne Jones, supplied the semi-automatic pistol that was used to kill Weinstein and helped with the clean up. The .380-caliber weapon was found under a bush a year after the slaying, but ballistic tests were inconclusive, and the weapon that killed Bruce Weinstein could have been the same make or one of three other makes... Her attorney stated in closing, that police used high-tech methods to check for blood residue in DeChant's car and carpet-cleaning van and in Weinstein's car and found nothing! The jury of nine women and three men spent 15 hours over a three-day period deliberating the murder case of DeChant and her co-defendant, Robert Wayne Jones. DeChant was found not guilty of conspiracy to commit murder but guilty of first-degree murder and of robbery with the use of a deadly weapon and was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Her life was spared. Jones was found not guilty of direct involvement in the murder but was convicted of being an accessory to murder after the fact, and was given a five-year sentence. Bruce Weinstein's family cried with joy after Amy DeChant, was convicted of murder in his July 1996 death. Sylvia White, Weinstein's mother, said after the verdict, "All I want to do is go to the cemetery to see my son. We don't have him anymore, but we do have justice." Will the family's joy be short lived? In May 2000, DeChant's attorney appealed the conviction citing it was impossible for DeChant, who weighs less than 120 pounds, to have shot the 300-pound Weinstein, dragged him from his upstairs bedroom, put him into a car, rolled him down a ditch in the desert and placed boulders on his head. The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in favor of Amy DeChant, overturning her October 1998 conviction for the murder of Bruce Weinstein. In their October 2000 ruling, the Justices said the trial judge erred in allowing testimony from a former homicide investigator, who termed DeChant's mob hit account a "fairy tale." The high court noted prosecutors used the same phrase later in the trial.

In 1868, Christy McQuarry, her younger sister Megan, and their servant Caney reach Fort Grant, Nevada where they meet Marshal Zachary Shaw. The law enforcement official escorts the young ladies to the land they inherited from their deceased grandfather in Primrose Creek. Christy finds herself attracted to the dirt poor Zachary, but vows to only marry for money. At first glance that may seem mercenary, but Christy worries what will happen to Megan and Caney as she understands insecurities ever since they were thrown out of their father's English home upon the death of their mother.

Zachary enjoys his squabbles with the snob. However, he is unable to open her eyes to his love as Christy becomes engaged to the wealthy lumber baron, Jake Vigil. As the wedding gets closer, Christy realizes she loves Zachary, making her wonder if she should marry for love or money?

THE WOMEN OF PRIMROSE CREEK: CHRISTY is an entertaining western romance that sub-genre fans will enjoy due to the battle of the sexes. The story line is fun as the lead characters take center stage. Christy may seem spoiled but inside she wants to insure Megan's future even if it costs her own happiness. Zachary is simply a passionate hero. In the second Primrose tale (see BRIDGET), Linda Lael Miller provides her audience with an enjoyable lighthearted romp.

Harriet Klausner

Linda Lael Miller has written another winner. "Christy," the second book in the series "The Women of Primose Creek" is a good book.

Christy, another of the strong willed McQuarry women, comes to Primrose Creek with her sister, Megan, upon returning from England after the death of their mother. Christy is as stubborn as her "cousin," Bridgette. Their parting was on bad terms. Now Christy has her share of the land bequeathed to her from their grandfather which is across the creek from Bridgette's and Skye's. Christy wants to sell her share and marry a rich man to provide for her and Megan. However, love does not always come with money. For Christy, love is in the form of the town's marshall, Zachary Shaw.

Zachary Shaw, tough and handsome, is attracted to the lovely Christy. Zachary realizes his feelings for Christy, who tries to deny her feelings for him. Also, Zachary realizes that Christy has agreed to marry someone else because of money. Zachary is hurt and sets out to once again take up bounty hunting to gain money. However, Christy insists to everyone that she will marry Jake Vigil, who owns the lumber mill. Will Christy succumb to her need to be rich or will she let her feelings of love dictate her actions?

"Christy" is indeed a winner. Keep up the good work, Ms. Miller!