Nevada Books

Well I would say this is a basic overview of Nevada... Not really super detailed to any one particular area, but a good general description of some key hikes in the great state of nevada. If you buy enjoy it....

Bruce Grubbs is the author of a very good hiking guide to Great Basin National Park, so one might expect that his guide to hiking the whole state of Nevada would also be a gem. And indeed, this book does list some nice hikes throughout the state ranging from short day hikes to multi-day backpack trips. Directions to trailheads, route descriptions, hypsometric maps (where appropriate) and such useful information as "canine compatibility" (ie. where you can walk with your dog) are all more than adequate. In addition, the second edition features a little more than a dozen new hikes in the Silver State.

Nonetheless, I cannot give this book more than 3 stars, and this despite the fact that it has very few competitors in the market. In the first instance, I don't really like the format which, like the first edition, is more a work of compilation than a work of authorship. In many cases, Grubbs simply prints comments from brochures (or other sources) by Nevada Parks, the Forest Service, or the Bureau of Land Management. I prefer authors write their own trail descriptions. It helps assure me that they have personally hiked (and rechecked) the trails. Beyond that, I still wonder about some of his trail selections. Red Rock Canyon, outside Las Vegas, gets a lot of (well deserved) attention, but Mt. Charleston Recreation Area has only 1 trail listed. Insofar as this recreation area offers some of the premier hiking in the southern portion of Nevada, I'm curious why a guide to the state would mention so little in this region. On the other hand, some of the "trails" listed, especially in northern Nevada, have long dirt roads for access and offer little in the way of such amenities as trail tread. After reading this book, I certainly don't feel much desire to go explore the area around Winnemucca and Denio.

So in the final analysis, I think this book could offer more in terms of really scenic hikes and drop some of the long desert washes. Still, you can find some neat little out of the way trails with it. Last winter, my wife and I explored the Grimes Point Archeological Area, a short leg stretcher just off our route from California to Boise, Idaho and really enjoyed the place. We would never have found it without this guide, so until something better comes along, this is the book to get for Nevada outdoor recreation.

THE INSIDERS' GUIDE TO RENO AND LAKE TAHOE is a great book about Northern Nevada and California that shows the Reno-Lake Tahoe area to be a region of great wealth and expensive homes. The book also proves that Reno is more ethnically diverse than you'd expect for a city of its size, and there is plenty of wonderful information about outdoor activities in the area. This is a book that you must own if you're planning to relocate to the Reno area, or even just to vacation there.

I purchased this book for a vacation to Lake Tahoe. While it is well-organized and provides a broad overview of the Reno/Tahoe region, it lacked really good, in-depth info on restaurants and attractions. I would recommend this book only if coupled with a more detailed book on the specific activities you want to pursue. We had a hiking guide (Afoot and Afeild in Reno/Tahoe, which was excellent), and I wish we had also had a restaurant guide.

I purchased this book last summer as part of a planning effort for hiking the trail in September. Even though I was quite familiar with the Sierra, I had no idea on how to plan the trip out as far as legs and campsites. I found this book to be invaluable as far as proposing a reasonable itinerary and giving the person a good idea of what to expect on each leg and where to find campsites. Castle first gives an overview of what should be done before the trip, and then breaks it out into a very doable 21-day itinerary (with 2 layover days) that range from 10-15 miles per day. He gives you a quick-hit overview of elevation gains and mileage and then a more detailed description of the day's hike. Also, he does a good job of planning the days so that you start with a climb and end with a descent. The one unfortunate is that the book is a bit heavy, though compact in size to actually carry with you -- the person I hiked with did carry it though and we enjoyed reading it along the trail as well as at night. I suppose one might xerox the pages you found necessary. By the way, I also had the Winnett book and found that far less helpful, and less organized as far as actually planning the trip. This is an awesome trip, and I strongly recommend both the book as well as doing the JMT -- it is a life-changing experience!

Just finished the JMT. The book was useful for planning my trek since the book is organized into a 22 day hike and I planned our hike for 20 days, so I would recommend it for that purpose. Having it on the hike itself wasn't very rewarding. The distance and altitude change intervals were somewhat useful, although the numbers don't necessarily mesh with the Harrison topo maps. What was disappointing was the lack of detail about campsite locations. The author basically indicates where they camped, but provides little information about where other campsites are located or their quality. Not a problem if you follow his itinerary, but if you're like us (and most of the other JMT hikers) it doesn't help when it's late in the day and you're trying to figure out how much further you need to go to get to a decent campsite. I basically stopped referring to the book after the first week and relied on the other guide I had which had much more detailed information on the trail and camping. I would have burned the Cicerone guide except we couldn't have fires most of the way and one of my friends wanted to carry it for reading material. The maps it contains were fairly worthless, so you'll definitely want topos. The author also comes across a bit snobbish at times, which certainly allowed my friends and I to poke fun at him and added to our entertainment. Logistical informtation on getting to the trailhead and dropping a vehicle at the end of the trail is also incomplete. YARTS only serves Merced to Mammoth, so getting from Whitney Portal to Mammoth requires a hitch, getting a local to shuttle you, or paying high dollars for a commercial shuttle. Bottom line is this is a decent book for planning a 3 week trek on the JMT, but it's not worth the weight to carry it. The Winsett guide was much more valuable on the trail, although it also has it's flaws.

I haven't seen the PBS documentary that spawned this companion book, but the book is worth reading and having if you're interested in the history of Las Vegas.

The book covers the founding of Vegas as a town, the construction of Hoover Dam, the flourishing of the Mob, the testing of the atom bomb (120 detonations around 65 miles of Vegas throughout the 1950s!), the Rat Pack, the Howard Hughes period and the Disney-fication of Sin City.

The obligatory PBS Politically Correct chapter on African Americans in Vegas was actually very fascinating. I knew that Sammy Davis Jr. wasn't allowed to stay in the hotels where he performed in the '50s--which was shameful enough--but to read that the Flamingo drained the pool after the gorgeous Dorothy Dandridge swam in it and Lena Horne's sheets were burned rather than put in the laundry ("We don't want to offend the Texans," was the hotel's lame excuse) is shocking and disgraceful.

Definitely a coffe table book with great photos and thick pages. I wish there had been more photos though. As a regular Vegas visitor, I know that town could provide many, many more.

"Las Vegas" provides interesting photos and verbiage covering Las Vegas from its initial start, through the building of Boulder/Hoover Dam, establishment as a "suburb" of L.A., attraction for "quickie" (6 week) divorces, the mob's influx, atomic testing, the "Rat Pack," attraction as a "marriage mill," Howard Hughes, Steven Wynn, imploding old landmarks, and finally the building of new hotels with unique tourist attractions (eg. volcano, pirate ship, art displays, fountains).

Ives also provides several interesting statistical tidbits - Las Vegas slot machines have paid out as much as $40 million to a single winner, and by '04 provided about 2/3 of Las Vegas casino revenue; in '76 nearly half the gross revenue of the 163-hotel Hilton chain came from its 2 L.V. properties; L.V. has 20 of the world's largest 23 hotels; and during the '90s non-gambling revenues began exceeding gambling revenues in Las Vegas.

I don't generally like Christian fiction much. Too often authors use their "Christian" audience to justify banality or just plain inferior work. A lot of Christian books can't compete on sheer entertainment value. Happily, Bodie & Brock Thoenes work is some of the best fiction I've ever read. It's unnecessary to qualify that by stating it's some of the best "Christian fiction". It's good fiction plain and simple.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
He Thought He'd Left the Past Behind. Yet One Terrible Tragedy Brings It All Back ...

The year is 1863. In the East, the Civil War rages on. The mountains of California seem remote and untouched by the struggle of the young nation. Tom Dawson has found a refuge from the political and social conflicts running a small ranch with his brother beneath Shadow Ridge.

This man with a restless past, his "rugged, sun-browned face creviced from the weather like a landscape," discovers some measure of peace and happiness at Shadow Ridge with his brother's little family. Then comes the news that the stagecoach has been robbed and six people murdered by a gang of rebel sympathizers stealing Union gold for the South. Without warning, the turmoil of Dawson's past returns.

As he moves toward a final confrontation, the Dawson home is shattered by a second tragedy. Where will he find the courage and faith to continue?

Michael C. White's guide to the Nevada backcountry is absolutely excellent. Those looking for backcountry fishing opportunities will really appreciate the info provided in addition to the wealth of detailed insight White lends on backpacking routes. The topo map section is a huge plus! I have dozens of guide books on backpacking and this is one of the finest I have run across. Friends agree.

The subtitle to this book should read "A TRAIL Hiking and TRAIL Backpacking Guide." If there's no official BLM, USFS, or Park Service trail to a peak, this book won't be much help. As an illustration, the section on the Charleston Peak Wilderness Area--probably the most visited in Nevada--includes a detailed description of the Mummy Spring TRAIL but nothing at all about what I found to be a well-marked use trail to the summit (the "Mummy's Tummy") of Mummy Mountain, probably the most geologically interesting of the area's peaks.

But that's more clarification than criticism. There is enough useful info, like Ranger Station phone numbers, relevant USGS topo map titles, and access mileages, to make the book worth having. Some of the mileages are off enough to confuse readers, and there are other inaccuracies (the appendix of the top 25 peaks in the state, for example--Why isn't 11,253' Mt. Silliman in the Rubies on this list?), but White's book is worth having along with John Hart's Hiking the Great Basin and the Sierra Club Desert Peaks Section's Peaks Guide.

Since I lived in northern Nevada for 14 years, I was surprised when I met Al Moe that he wrote such a great historical account of Reno. By understanding Reno's history, it has given the city and the small towns during the gold/silver boom, new meaning. Understanding it's past makes the present come to life in ways that only reading Mr. Moe's historical account can do. Enjoy the ride.....Roy Ritner, Jr.

This book goes a little deeper than just a look at a few casinos in Nevada. The emphasis is on the 1931 to 1981 period, and casino owners are looked at - not just as owners, but as people, why they came to Nevada, and why they thrived. The photos are terrific - with almost 50 that are from the 1930's and 1940's. Easy, and fun reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed this moving story of a boy removed suddenly and without ceremony from high school and thrown at an all-to-early age into combat and all variety of other circumstances of war.

While we in the USA have a tendancy to dwell on the impact to the USA and our soldiers, here is a local perspective. Ironically, in addition to seeing Korea through the eyes of this young soldier, we see the UN troops from his perspective and so get an additional point of reference on ourselves.

In addition to being a great, fresh perspective, what happens to Private Shin is incredible. It is a laugh, cry and be moved type of adventure that compells you to read it in one sitting.

I really liked hearing about the Korean War from a Korean's perspective. I just thought it was too short. It is worth reading though. If you want to buy this book, I would buy it used and save some money.

This is a pretty good guidebook. The publisher (Chockstone Press) is the best I have used, and the durability of construction is second to none. The book contains a nice history, as well as some other essentials for the climber interested in visiting this area. I was disappointed with the topographic climbing maps (some routes have them, some do not), as they are not very detailed or easy to read, however, they are adequate and there is nothing better on this area out there (that I have seen). The text route descriptions are good enough to use with the topo's to find your way up and down. Overall, I think this is a good guidebook, yet it needs to be updated perhaps to include better climbing topo maps as well as one for each route listed. azdz@mindspring.com

The excellence of this book is due to three things, in addition to the fine quality of the writing.

First, by concentrating on an arguably "100 best climbs", not only does the reader learn useful route information but the authors have distilled here some of the best climbs the Sierra has to offer. Second, the format of a single page of route description and history, faced with a (usually outstanding) photograph of the mountain, really whets one's appetite for the climb! Third, most route descriptions are obviously left a little vague on purpose, leaving you some thrill of discovery if you attempt the climb.

I am familiar with a number of the routes described in the book, and the authors have done a fine job of selection. There are many excellent ones to choose from, no matter what your taste.

Sometimes a book comes along at just the right time. In my case, I happened across this book in the local bookstore the day I returned from my first exploration of the White Mountains and the Highway 395 corridor. Thumbing through it I realized it was a wealth of information to help me decipher the many plants and animals I had seen on my trip. It is an excellent compilation of nearly everything one is likely to encounter exploring this unique region. Whether it be geology, native vegetation, insects, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, or mammals, there is a chapter in here for each. And these are not simplified overviews of only the most common species, they are detailed discussions of numerous species and subspecies. Despite the detail, the writing style is easy to read. Each chapter is lavishly illustrated with black-and-white line drawings. A center insert also includes color photos of many arthropods and plant species.

Though the focus is on the eastern slopes of the Sierras, it is often applicable to nearby areas. For instance it describes bristlecone pines found only in the White Mountains. The book also covers certain associated areas, most notably the surrounding desert communities.

Genny Smith has done a wonderful job of coordinating the writing styles of many different authors. Having been involved in these types of collaborations myself, I know this is no easy task. The overall result makes this book a necessary addition to the libraries of both professionals and amateurs alike.

I was quite disappointed in this edition of Smith's book. Unlike the other reviewer, I have seen the evolution of the book from The Deepest Valley and Mammoth Lakes Sierra to Sierra East. This is technically the 6th (?) edition. The original books were more of a travel guide. Thus, followers of Smith's books (I eagerly awaited each new edition) may be as sorely disappointed as I was.
The "Roadsides" chapters were great for the less traveled byways of the eastern Sierra. The illustrations of the Sierra Crest were extremely useful as students always asked which peak is Lone Pine Peak (looks taller) vs Mt. Whitney. Illustrations like fig. 3.5 were scattered through this chapter. The chapter on trails were good for day hikes into the high country. Both of these chapters are now gone.
I also miss the maps on the inside covers of the old editions.
The present edition is part of the CA Natural History Guides, and Eastern Sierra follows the trend of massive books.
The geology chapter is well done with good new illustrations, but the section of glaciers is shallow. This is one of the dominant feature of the eastern Sierra, yet the explanation is not as clear, mostly due to the lack of illustrations compared to the older. e.g. The description of a matterhorn is that it is named after the Swiss Matterhorn. No illustration. Cirque Lakes?
Because it is a U.C. Natural History Guide, it tries to cover everything but nothing very well. It tries to be an all-in-one guide. Unless one is backpacking, it is sometimes wiser to have specific guides on specific groups of organisms. e.g. Number of eggs and incubation time are mentioned, but how many people see nests or have the time to watch how long it takes for the eggs to hatch. Maybe it would have been better to say "watch for nighthawks at dusk just north of Bishop and south of the Bishop Tuff." I have seen more Ospreys in the Owens Valley than Prairie Falcons, Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, and Goshawks combined, yet ospreys get a few sentences. "Look for them on Lake Tinemaha at the overlook."
Most of the mammals described won't be seen unless one traps for them in very specific locations and habitats. A more detailed description on the diurnal mammals may have been in order.
The fish chapter was expanded to include the various endemics, again fish that most will never see. Maybe a chapter or two on the fish hatcheries. Mt Whitney Fish Hatchery is great for kids (and grownups) to see huge trout that one can feed.
I thought the arthropod chapter was good and restrained, covering things that people will encounter in the wilds... mosquitos, ticks, no-see-ems, and organisms that are important to the area... Pandora moths, bark beetles. Things that people run across... velvet ants, brine flies.
I thought the flora section was ok. There could have been better comparisons between some of the more similar trees. Illustrations of the bark would have been nice, as they are helpful in identifying trees.
Last, the water chapter is good but does not delve into the LA Aqueduct issue, Owens Lake, Mono Lake, etc.

In Smith's defense, maybe the problem is that I am a biology professor and know the flora and fauna. I know less about the history and geology of the area.