Nevada Books

The original version of this book was published in 1938 in a limited edition of only 500 copies. Ansel's other well known work of this early period include his portfolio entitled Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras (1927) and his other early books include Taos Pueblo (published in a limited edition of about 100 copies around 1930), and the relatively common instructional book "Making a Photograph" (1935). I have seen all of these works in their original form and was grateful to see this book reprinted making it accessable to modern Ansel Adams fans of modest means such as myself.

Ansel's printing style changed over the course of his life. For instance, the Monolith (face of Half Dome) print included with the Parmelian Prints looks completely different than the much more familiar and frequently reproduced prints from this negative made in the 1970s. Several other examples can be found of this change in printing style. Most books currently on the market and prints that are frequently shown focus on the dramatic Wagnerian style of printing Ansel adopted in his later years. Modern Ansel Adams publications which seem to include several new books every year focus on already well known images as Ansel printed them in the final decades of his life. This book is refreshing in that focuses on Ansel's early images and printing style. The book is also focused on the John Muir trail rather than being a "greatest hits" collection.

Printing technology has also changed and improved a lot since the original version of the book was published in 1938, and his improved significantly even since 1984 when Ansel died. Of course not every book is printed with the best technology of an era. I have not seen original prints of all of many of the images reproduced in this book, but I believe the printing to in the spirit of this era and to the original edition.

Plate #49 in the book, "Lake and cliffs, Kaweah Gap" has been reproduced in several other books as "Frozen Lake and Cliffs" including as plate XIII in the 1935 "Making a Photograph" and on page 10 of the 1983 printing of "Examples the Making of 40 photographs." I have taken the opportunity to compare these three reproductions side by side. The 1935 reproduction is clearly the worst of the three to my eye - likely because of the printing technology of that era. The 1983 book and the current book are much closer. The blacks are deeper in this book. There is more constrast in the cliff in the current "John Muir Trial" reproduction at the expense of a slight amount of shadow detail which is present in the "Examples" book. In "Examples" Ansel mentions that the negative was processed in nearly exhausted developer and lacks density in the shadows making it difficult to print. He goes on to say in "Examples" (which he wrote in the early 1980s), that it was "Only within the past year or so have I been able to get a nearly satisfactory print..." This implies to me that the loss of shadow detail in the John Muir Trail reproduction of this image is due to the way Ansel printed this image in that era and not due to the quality of printing in the book as another reviewer suggested.

This is one of the few books currently available which focuses on Ansel's early photography career, and I would highly recommend it to anyone with a serious interest in his work. Having seen and read the 1938 edition, I believe this new printing does justice to the original as well as makes this body of work accessible to the current generation Ansel Adams enthusiasts.

It is always told that AA put enormous energy and care in producing his 1938 edition of "Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail", originally published in only 500 copies and a fine art book of highest quality at the time.

I never saw a copy of the origional edition and my comment is purely on what I see in this 2006 standard edition. I don't know how this book is made from the original edition. It says tri-tone but the printing quality is so-so. Some images are a little vague, some losing details in shadow or highlight. The book is pale in compasrison with some great AA books published by Bulfinch in the past, such as "California" or "Yosemite and the High Sierra". You can find some images from this book in other AA books and in better quality. Overall, it would make AA uneasy to stamp his famous AA Authorized Edition to the book. If it were not for its historical value, I'd skip this book.

Now Bulfinch also offers a 2006 deluxe edition at $1,200. Again I haven't seen a copy but perhaps the pricier version can live up to the standard of the original edition.

The trend looks a little worrisome recently in AA books pulished by Bulfinch. The printing quality goes down from "California (1997)" to "Ansel Adams at 100 (hardcover 2001)". "Trees (2004)" rebounds just a little but "Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail (2006)" is a little disappointing. I would hope the next AA book by Bulfinch can rejuvenate the printing quality, even if doing so means a higher price tag.

I haven't finished the book yet, but just had to respond to the first synopsis you have printed, which is the same as on the back of the book itself. Frank Blake is NOT the great-grandson of Whip Holt! He is the GRAND son period. Frank's mother is Cindy Holt Blake who is the daughter of Whip Holt -- right? That makes Frank her son the grand son of the whipster. How in the world could something this simple get past the final editing process? There are lots of inconsistancies in the Holt books -- the Wagons West and Holt Dynasty series, both. Like on the family tree printed in the front of some of the books it shows Claudia as having two husbands -- wrong. She was a widow when she married Sam Brentwood. Then came Sam and then Mr. Locke. The stories are very enjoyable, but come on editors remember who did what to whom and when.

As stated, in this book Frank Blake, the GRANDSON of Whip Holt, gets his day in the sun, becoming the main focal point for the rest of the series.

This novel does a fine job illustrating the rise of socialist ideals in the 1890's, showing how Frank Blake could easily be turned by socialist thought into rejecting his upbringng, and then showing his folly in doing so.

The brother on brother conflict was wondefully done and this book is far better then could be expectted.

Recommended, especially for those who are interested in the history of socialism in America.

Even if you're not a Gen Xer you will love this guide. The photos say it all and the reviews are definetly not your usual boring blahness. A fun book! All you need is this guide and those leather pants your dying to wear and you're set for an all-nighter in sin city!

Just a word of warning: you can breeze through this book in 15 minutes. It's *very* small, and half of the book is pictures. Also, given the rapidly changing face of Vegas nightlife, it's going to get out of date quite quickly (not to mention omissions). Still, it's an okay little guide that might point out 1 or 2 lounges or afterhours clubs you didn't know about. Still, I would not suggest this as your only guide to nightlife or dining in Vegas. I would definetly suggest pairing this with another book, or even better, going with someone 'in the know'.

Clark's follow-up to City of Trembling Leaves and Ox-Bow Incident is an ambitious but not totally successful attempt at conveying the cold indifference of the natural world and man's supreme isolation in the universe. Often melodramatic, this tale of a clasically dysfunctinal family of ranchers living in the Sierra Nevada is most notable for one extended tour-de-force sequence: Clark's detailed, snowflake-by-snowflake description of a man's disorientation and eventual descent into madness as he tries to find his way out of a mountain blizzard. This harrowing section of the book may be justification enough for reading Track of the Cat.

The book is almost as much as a classic as Moby Dick is. It's the same thing, man versus nature. And Mr.Clark tells the story with such detail that you believe you're standing there with the characters.

This book is out of date in terms of card counting,there are better book out there today. What htis book offers is how to avoid getting caught by not getting out of the typical sterotype of a card counter and look more like a regular gambler. Anyone that in card counting or thinking about should read this book.

The challenge of cardcounting is not learning to do it, but "conning" the pit personnel into letting you do it.

I was the stereotypical counter till I read this book (felt guilty, avoided contact with pit supervisors, neglected value of rapport with dealers). The result was very quick shuffles and even being told not to make any more blackjack bets.

Since I have adopted the mind set described in this book and the resultant behaviors, (engage pit personnel in conversations that interest them, appear to play just for fun and the money means nothing, dress like you can afford to lose) I have enjoyed deep penetration into single decks for multiple hours at a time (the difference that makes the difference).

I agree with the top authors on the game that this is the best book on casino comportment and developing your "act".

"The history of the Patten family, naval and otherwise, is presented with excellent rundowns of members from circa 1850 to 1945. This lengthy period also mirrors the history of the nation to a considerable extent. The military history woven into the fabric of the book is fascinating and educational without being overly text-like or tedious to read. One can easily appreciate the laudable patriotism of the family members while learning a great deal about ships (American and Japanese), their construction, armaments, aircraft, etc. Each theater of World War II is covered, some more extensive than others. Battles, including Pearl Harbor, are well described with searing details. Maps, pithy sayings, and more photos embellish the lucid and candid text."

I'm never sure what to make of Nevada's outdoor opportunities. On the one hand the state has some spectacular scenery. I think Red Rock Canyon is the best Vegas has to offer for hiking and sight seeing. I also like exploring (spring time only) the Lake Mead Recreation Area. Mt. Charleston offers fine mountain hiking and Great Basin National Park is a real gem in the national park system. On the other hand, I also like being able to drive an ordinary car to trailheads, and it is here that Nevada presents obstacles not found in my home state of California. A significant percentage of the hikes Mike White describes in this book require a high clearance vehicle just to get to the trailhead. On top of that, in many cases trails are not maintained. Fortunately White provides very detailed route descriptions, an absolute necessity when attempting Boundary Peak and several lesser known hikes in the state.

On the whole this is a good book. It is not intended to be comprehensive, but is rather a selection of what the author thinks are the best walks in the state. The Ruby Mountains receive a lot of attention, as does Nevada's half of the Lake Tahoe region. I was pleased to see that Cathedral Rocks State Park also received a nice write-up. Sharp pictures and decent location and hike maps will help those who want to further explore the Silver State. But in the final analysis, for many casual dayhikers (I am often in that category and my wife always is) the rigors of getting to the trailhead will discourage attempting many of these trips. What Nevada needs is an outdoors book along the lines of 'California Hiking' by Steinstra and Brown. Such a book would be far more comprehensive than this one and list hikes for all levels of walkers. It would also provide more opportunities for those whose sense of adventure does not include replacing the transmission pan on their vehicle after, or worse yet during, a trip to the mountains. But if you are willing to risk it, this book is for you. It offers high adventure without the crowds found in other western states.

I picked this book up at the Basque Cultural Center in Boise, ID. I had developed an interest in this European minority from my periodic studies of Spain, the Spanish Civil War, and the Basques's schizophrenic support of the Republican side. Their language that knows no connection to any other language, their stoic personalities, their ability to spend months alone sheepherding in remote locations, the continuing efforts of a few extremists to keep the issue of Basque Independance alive; all this and more makes the Basques an interesting subject. What would a sampling of short stories by authors of this interesting culture be like. Well, probably what you'd get from a sampling of Iowa writers or Oklahoma writers; some good stories and some mediocre stories.

I did not come away with a feeling that I had gained a lot of insight into the Basque mind. There were some stories that added some Basque flavor and one in particular ("Like the Waters that Release their Dead") that I thought was a brilliant retrospective of the Spanish Civil War's effects on Spain. Some of the stories were fantasy-like imaginations of what things might have been. Others left the imagination to ourselves. There was an unusual but interesting love story from the Spanish Civil War titled "Black as Coal". My favorite was a brief, two-page story entitled "Maria and Jose" that gives a refreshing look at love. There are many memorable stories in this volumne. They were better than I had expected but I tend to follow authors rather than anthologies. I'm glad I read this book and as for discovering the Basque mystique, well, I also picked up "A Basque History of the World" in Boise. I'll settle for that to be the illumination of the Basques. I'll settle for "An Anthology of Basque Short Stories" to be what it is; a good (not great) book.

This book is useful for people who wish to identify ants in the southwestern united states, since most of the genera that the Wheelers discuss are not restricted to Nevada. It has many useful keys, most of which have small line drawings that illustrate what the node of the key is trying to ask the reader. This feature alone makes the book very valuable to me. I often get lost in keys...

The taxonomy does not always agree with that of Bolton, Wilson and/or Taber. I suspect this is due to recent taxonomic revisions.

The genus and most of the species deescriptions have small discussions of natural history. These are not always as detailed as one might like. There are range maps for Nevada in the back of the book, and textual descriptions of the world-wide range in the species descriptions.

The book has quite a few photographs. Many of the photographs are of ant nests, which I must confess all look the same to me. The majority of the photos are black and white, except for some color habitat photos. Most of the ant photos are too small to be of much use.

The overall feeling I get when reading this book is that it is a larger format, expanded, Nevada version of 'The Ants of Deep Canyon' - another book by the Wheelers which I like alot.

to have the opportunity to study around Dr. Dodd at Kansas State University, and hear her speak about her own work from time to time. This new book of hers is mighty fabulous! Dr. Dodd's use of sound, and her careful attention to what makes a poem cohesive as a whole really creates a memorable experience for the reader. The imagery is lovely, and well executed. Though I am but a student of poetry, I judge Dodd's work in a category unto itself-- one definitely worth reading and passing on.

My favorite poem in particular from this collection is "Parietal."