New Mexico Books

It is amazingly accurate and if you are interested in Geology you will
learn solid, well written information about this Geology.

These Roadside books are always very good and this one is no exception.

I expected a pretty dry book regarding a pretty dry subject. I was wrong.

This has stimulated my interest in geology. Each time we travel now, we take this book and the Roadside History of NM book with us. It makes our trips through New Mexico much more interesting. We stop and look at the places these books mention and read about the events that occured there and what the rocks are telling us. Sometimes we even take side trips to see things that are mentioned in one of these two books.

I particularly like how this book has diagrams and pictures to help clarify what it is exactly I'm looking at. There are answers to questions I wouldn't have thought to ask in this book.

If you drive through NM quite a bit, this is a good book to have with you as you travel. Even if you don't think you are interested in geology, this book is a good book to have.

Outstanding! Since I travel frequently to and through New Mexico, this book was everything I hoped for. Familiar terrain takes on a new meaning now. The seller (BookPlanet) delivered the book promptly, at a reasonable price, and in new condition. Very satisfactory deal all the the way around. John Bradshaw

I have persused through several Roadside Geology book, so I was pretty sure of what I was ordering. This book is wonderful to read before road trips, while on road trips and after road trips. My family and I have a much better understanding of and appreciation for what we are seeing on our trips. I highly recommend this series for anyone the least bit interested in geology.

This tome covers corn "ear" to toe. I love the sassy tone and contrarian viewpoints.

I must admit, I am actually a beet person (well, root vegetables generally) and bought this book to get ammo to goof on my corn enthusiast friends. But how the worm has turned! Corn and human history are inextricably linked, a bonding of nurture and social evolution. This book lays down the facts.

I guess in retrospect my "hubris" about beets was misguided and wrong. I now think the lesson I learned, whether it pertains to vegetables, politics, music or whatever, is that YOU SHOULD NEVER UNDERESTIMATE DIFFERENT OPINIONS. It's too easy to do, and is an easy way to miss out on fundamental truths.

In that sense, this book transcends it's core audience of corn folk (cornies?) and teaches a much deeper lesson if you are not really interested in corn - that well disciplined research into unfamiliar topics can instruct and delight the receptive reader.

Read it, enjoy and reflect.

Food historian Betty Fussell's survey of corn history blends folklore, anthropology, botany and social and art history to provide a lively blend of anecdotes and facts about world corn, from its influence on war and ritual uses in the Inca and Aztec worlds to its use as a key ingredient in different cultures' cuisines. The Story Of Corn isn't a cookbook; it's a specialized food history which will appeal across many different lines, from students of anthropology and sociology to culinary enthusiasts and history buffs.

Everything you want to know about corn is found in this book. And I mean everything. We see corn growing in fields everyday but do we actually stop and think about it? Do we pull over to the side of the road and LOOK at it? It's amazing how corn has been around longer than anyone will know. This book covers an overwhelming amount of detail. If you don't find it interesting you're just not a corn person. In fact, the only thing it doesn't answer is why I threw up over a bad cob one time. I don't throw up.

I love corn. Whether it's cobbed, creamed, breaded, or popped. This book is non-stop corn!

As a native of New Mexico I found this book wonderful. I live with a Navajo who was raised very traditionally and he found the book wonderful also. Douglas Preston is the best.

It's a pleasure to enjoy the author's background studies (dry) and then his reality (with large hail stones) on a search that leads to more respect... for everything.
Reading this book caused me to yearn for some concrete search of my own, and that is the dream this book passes along. It was given to me as someone else's favorite book. I can see why. Thanks.

It helps immensely to have travelled to the Navajo Nation when reading this story. I found that I had minor interest in the developing family story, compared to the lore and myth of the SW Native Americans. If you've travelled to the SW and are familiar with horses, you'll love this book.

A wonderful read, both encouraging and disheartening, with some real family values thrown in. A graphic, first-hand description of the way things were and are, and might be. Mr. Preston provides many enduring messages about the sanctity of life and living that the Bilagaana have nearly completely lost in our rush of subservience to the technology god.

This book and its predecessor, Cities of Gold, chronicle the amazing, arduous, foolhardy, inspired journeys of a "yankee" in search of the traces of cultures his own people have nearly annihilated. Unlike many memoirists, Preston doesn't shrink from chronicling his own failures and misjudgments, and that's what makes him so accessible to the people he meets along the way, and to the reader him or herself. Most of us will probably never have the guts to make these journeys or get to know all these people - that's what makes this book such a radical act of anti-tourism. Above all it's a poignant homage to "the people." (They know who they are!) If you're a horse person, a traveler to the southwest, or if you're just interested in the question "what is American?" you have to read these books now. And don't miss the great story about the skinwalkers - it's enough to keep you cold in July.

I'm not much into westerns, but I sure liked this one!

This is rapid-paced action. With each event, Trimble paints the stage thoroughly, but he knows you are anxious for the story and so gets through it quickly. There is violence and brutality, necessary for the plot, but he doesn't dwell on it. It's presented, you know about it, and then he quickly moves on. I appreciated that.

I got so involved with the characters, I couldn't resist a peek at the last couple of pages very early on. Breathing a sigh of relief at the outcome, I could go back and finish the book leisurely. Not really "leisurely" though, because it was so hard to put down.

Richard Trimble's Trail of the Wolf is a good read with an important message between the covers.

The book is set in the old Southwest, with a set of very believable characters, good, bad, and all varieties in between. The author has clearly done his homework on the geography, customs, and language.

I won't give too much away, but the substance of the book is an exploration of a what if: What if a town in the New Mexico Territory had fallen for one of the great public policy delusions of contemporary America? The consequences are disaster. Trimble's working out of the ramifications are exciting, well-hewn, and illuminating.

I hope the author has more books like this one in him.

Westerns have never been my thing - I can take them or leave them. This one was hard to put down. I became involved with the characters and stayed on the trail with Blackie. I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read!!!! I can't wait for another book by this author.

If you like westerns, "Trail of the Wolf" is a refreshing new look at what the west was really like. It is written in a style that does not follow the same old worn-out western formula. In fact, it is more than a western. Action, adventure, human nature, are all in this book. The author paints such a realistic picture of the late 1870's west; it's like he was an eyewitness to the events portrayed in the book.

The story is set in the New Mexico Territory in 1878, in the quite little town of Gold Creek. There is a cause and effect to all our actions. What happens when the residents get complacent about their lives brings to light what can happen in any age, not just "the Wild West".

This is a story that is as fresh as this morning's newspaper. I couldn't put it down until I finished. There are very few books today that I can say that about. If you want a book that will hold your interest, entertain, and give you an insight into human nature, this is a book you should not pass up. A great read.

This is the first western novel that I have ever read, but if Dick writes another one, I will surely read it. ... and this was a real treat. The characters become so real, and the suspense is dynamic. I am very familiar with the territory described in the book, and again, it is very realistic.

Over the last year I have visited Western New Mexico on numerous occasions, including many of the settings of Trinity Fields and its sequel, Ariel's Crossing. Morrow's description of the New Mexican countryside and its people is exquisite, allowing me to see that beautiful State with a fresh appreciation of its natural, historical, and spiritual beauty.

Morrow's treatise on the human affinity for and in the end the banality of war-particularly Vietnam-is worthy of another Pulitzer. The metaphorical power of the friendship of Kip and Brice is best understood as complementary alter egos, forces and instincts that exist side by side within many of us.

I read Ariel's Crossing prior to reading Trinity Fields. While I also loved the sequel, I recommend reading Trinity first, since Ariel builds on the characterizaions so carefully wrought in Trinity. Read them both for a great literary experience.

Philip argues with Victor about his love for Chloe as Victor claims he's too young to know what love really is. When their argument heats up, Victor grounds him for having low grades and being distracted by Chloe. Stefano overhears Brandon pleading with Lexie to give Isaac to Hope where he belongs. Stefano first offers him money to keep quiet and then threatens him but Brandon isn't frightened which worries Lexie. When Stefano complains to Rolf about this trouble, Rolf decides to kill Brandon. Belle and Chloe look for Bo and Hope to tell them about what Belle saw at the river. Hearing the fire department found nothing after dragging the river again, Bo decides Hope's right that J.T. is still alive. This, folks, is the wonderful world of "Trinity Fields." Read it and learn the meaning of the word "enthralled." Here's how many tiny yet flamingly intense white dwarfs I give it: ****************************************************************************. Wow!

Brad Morrow has a way with words ... He crafts them into exquisite sentences, paragraphs and mental pictures that are wonderfully refreshing. The story is compelling ... His Characters believable. I loved it! Great job, Brad!

As a member of the so called X-generation, I have a better understanding of what my parents must have gone through regarding Vietnam. Morrow's writing style puts you right in the scene. As I was reading it I was convinced this must be his life story. It was so real. However, the acknowledgments at the end point out that this is not his life, but his incredible imagination. I will be reading more Bradford Morrow.

1968, by Joe Haldeman, and Trinity Fields, by Bradford Morrow

1968 will surprise readers who think of Joe Haldeman exclusively as a science fiction writer. Its stunning realism and cynical outlook are harrowing. Haldeman's main character is Spider, a soldier in Vietnam. Haldeman never compromises his grim vision of this pivotal year in American history--just when you think it can't get worse for poor Spider, it does. The writing is razor sharp--I was especially enamored of the sections relating Spider's evolving description of his wounding and near death in an ambush. The story changes with time and with Spider's experiences and mental state. At story's end, Haldeman turns the tables and tells the story from another participant's point of view. In doing so, he manages to give the entire book an ironic spin.

The focus in Trinity Fields is on Brice McCarthy, who's sedate existence is interrupted by a letter from a friend he thought long dead. The letter causes Brice to reflect on his life, and, more importantly, on the influence that his boyhood friend, Kip Calder, has had on him. As sons of scientists working on the Manhattan Project, the duo literally grew up in the shadow of the atomic bomb. As children, the two were inseparable, but as they grew older their paths diverged. Their deteriorating friendship finally collapses over their philosophical differences regarding the Vietnam War and their love for the same woman. Ultimately, Brice joins the radical Left and Kip flies secret missions over Laos. Morrow's description of their meeting some twenty five years later, and the poignant favor Kip asks of Brice provide an emotional and satisfying climax.

Taken together, 1968 and Trinity Fields provide plenty of food for thought. Morrow's book, cerebral and reflective, is the perfect complement to the more visceral and gruelling 1968. In both, the horror stems from the Vietnam war, and the physical and mental damage it inflicted. Individually, either book is worthy of your attention, but I recommend that you read them together for greater impact.

great book with a story that keep you on your toes and will finish before you put it down

I am definitely a fan of Aimee Thurlo and Davide Thurlo's Ella Clah mysteries. Yes, they have supplanted Tony Hillerman for me. At last, an intelligent female Indian officer who is embroiled in this book with the closing of the uranium mines in New Mexico. For those who have the eyes to comprehend, she deftly brings in the illnesses the Indians experience because of the mining. Few people are aware of how the mining on Indian reservations contributes to their health, but also their poverty.

This book brings out the subtle effects of a near-death experience, the superstition and fanaticism of people who cannot understand that there is something beyong death. The authors weave a realistic tale of conflict between the traditionalists and the modernists that is intense and holds the reader's attention. Bettye Johnson, award-winning author of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.

I have been a Tony Hillerman fan, then I got onto the Thurlo's also like the Coel Book that I chose. Am going to order more Thurlo's because our local library does not handle. Thank you so much for your (Amazon) speedy shipping and thd books were in perfect condition.

I liked this book in spite of myself. It is a prime example of the "detective-as-target" school of mystery writing. Ella Clah not only has to cope with assorted bad guys trying to kill or maim her, she must also deal with being shunned by many of the traditionalist Navajos. Shades of Patricia Cornwell's persecuted heroine, Kate Scarpetta.

What redeemed the book in my eyes was that the Thurlos successfully mix Clah's police activities with details of the traditionalist practices of her mother and brother. The only homicide in the story is solved early. The remaining complications arise from factional conflict on the reservation. A couple of Ella's antagonists from previous books get their comeuppance. A pretty slight plot, but an enjoyable read.

Aimee and David Thurlo have added a ninth installment to their Ella Clah series. These novels take place on a Four Corners, New Mexico reservation where Clah is a special investigator for the Navajo Tribal Police. Her family is "traditionalist" and her brother Clifford is a respected hataalli, or medicine man, who at the start of the book is singing hatals. "These songs of blessing compelled the Navajo gods to bring good luck to the land the yellow dust had corrupted and give it new life. Navajo prayers were not petitions. If recited just right, it was believed that the gods couldn't fail to comply."

The rituals are part of a ceremony to kick off the demolition of warrens of abandoned uranium mines that are a danger to the population. Their demise fills the hopes of the tribe, which are vested in "NEED, which stood for Navajo Electrical Energy Development ? the Navajo Nation's first step toward a more prosperous future." The abject poverty on the Rez is palpable and the "lack of funds still took a heavy toll on the tribe's ability to provide and maintain emergency services. Police equipment was badly outdated and salaries hadn't been improved in years. Even the hospital was understaffed."

Ella follows her nephew and his friend when they wander away from the crowd. She sensed the danger they were in as they played "somewhere behind a cluster of boulders several yards away." After a quiet "lecture" about learning patience and warning them about the sick land, her nephew falls off a plank and was pulled into an ever-widening hole. "He dangled helplessly over the edge, staring at her with terrified eyes. 'I'm going to fall!' " Finally, she manages to lift him up to safely. As she tried to save herself, "a wall of sand came sliding down and before she could cry out, Ella felt herself plummeting down a narrow tunnel." When she is found and rescued everyone thinks she is dead. The EMTs are no longer working on her and have covered her with a sheet. At first even her brother considered her to be dead. But after an out-of-body experience, "Ella pushes [the sheet] aside and sits up. No need for CPR ? it worked." Ella is back. But for a Navajo just "coming back" is not that easy.

Various and sundry legends, stories, myths and rituals comprise the traditional and modern Navajo belief systems. Some of these are contradictory and put Clah in the strange position of having to prove she has not been "touched" or "contaminated" or "taken over" by evil spirits. She had an experience the year before that convinced her that "she'd discovered ? skinwalkers --- Navajo witches known for their practices and rituals associated with the dead --- [who] were using [the] old mines for their own purposes." But on this happy day she was convinced that "skinwalkers had apparently stopped using this site after authorities had destroyed a few of the larger shafts."

Clifford says, "Her wind spirit has drifted. We, as Navajos, are taught that life begins when wind enters the body at birth and that death happens when it leaves through the fingertips. I've tried to convince the [traditionalists] that once the wind spirit leaves ? it never returns to the person it left behind. It waits for another to be born. So you couldn't have been dead."

To clear her path and remove the shadow of death that has now shrouded her, Ella must assuage the fears of some of her people. She must be the focus of an obscure ceremony or "Sing" that is required in the circumstances. Clifford tells her, "Only one hataalii knows the Sing you need --- hastiin sdni which means 'old man'; [so aged he] was to be in his nineties. [Unfortunately] the Singer [she needs] has gone off on a spiritual journey. He's visiting the shrines of his clan and could be nearly anywhere." Clah knows she has no choice but to go looking for this person, and the sooner she gets started the sooner the Sing can be performed.

At first she has no luck in tracking the old man down. But in the interim she's called out on a vandalism call and then an arson/murder. Both are connected to the activism of the victims who are fighting for handgun registration on the reservation. The woman who died in the fire had been in a wheelchair for years as a result of a gunshot wound. She and her husband were at the vanguard of the new legislation and obvious targets of the rednecks who saw them as enemies.

As events unfold Ella is caught up in maintaining her dignity and keeping the respect of the people to whom she feels responsible. WIND SPIRIT is a craftily written novel that is rich in Navajo history and life on the reservation. Both the lead and supporting characters are deftly fleshed out, which adds verisimilitude to the different issues that confront them throughout the novel. Tension is high when the vandals keep at their ugly mission, a hostage crisis becomes full blown, and dead bodies mount as gunshots ring out in deafening finality.

By the end of the book Clifford speaks to his sister: "I heard from the hataalii we've all been searching for. He's finished his other business and will be here today. The Sing can begin this afternoon." When he left her and she took stock of her situation she found "it was clear that she'd have her work cut out for her during the coming months [despite the cleansing of the Sing] but for now she'd restore her own inner balance and harmony by joining her family. It was time to walk in beauty."

--- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum

See my review for The Woman Who Found Grace - the first book finished and I immediately wanted to read the next two. Now all we need is the fourth and it's a box set I know lots of people would enjoy. Maybe Christmas next year!

A note I sent to the Authoress:

Bett,
I meant to tell you a few weeks ago that I had completed "Woman Who Knew Too Much." I have "Moon" on order now.

I'm not qualified to write a book review but just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed this book. One of the few I've read from cover to cover. I am familiar with the Pecos river down here in our part of the country and your description fit so perfectly. I could see, hear and smell it vividly in my mind as I read. I really enjoyed the charactors. Loved Kit, and naturally, Cord. Sheriff Juan (Sam Elliott) was great, as well as, Metz and Marguerite. I could just visualize how sorry Jaz was and why no one could really miss him. The cats flying in all directions when startled brought a verbal laugh. My wife just looked over at me and wondered "what in the world........". I felt like I was on the back of the horse with you when we went to Jaz's shack. I saw and smelled all that stuff too. I was sad about Jones. (Old Yeller?)

My norm is getting up between 3:30 and 4 am each morning, pouring a cup of coffee and go to the computer to tend to emails. Well when I got the book, I would have the coffee, read about an hour or so, then go to the computer. Toward the end, I couldn't wait to get the computer stuff done and go back to the book. It would make a great movie.

Looking forward to "Moon".

Kenn

The author has a real talent for creating place--you feel the storms, sweat in the heat, and choke on the dust of the southwest. Plus she has created some unique characters with original motivations and insights and her plot, though complicated, is entirely believable. Whoever said the heroine doesn't appear until well into the book obviously didn't read it very carefully--and the revelation of who the heroine is is part of the fun of the book--a thinking person's mystery novel--

I read The Woman Who Rode to the Moon last week, and am about 1/2-way through the sequel. I'm enjoying the characters, but the writing and story are a bit uneven. The author keeps shifting voices, detailing the story as observed from different points of view. This works better at some points than at others.

I'm not averse to the style. In fact, one of my all-time favorite books, Patience and Sarah (Isabel Miller) does the same thing. But I don't feel it's especially well handled here. The voice shifts are abrupt and the story, when told from Cord's point of view, often becomes confusing.

It also seems like the book can't decide if it wants to be a heterosexual feminist story or a lesbian story. There are allusions to lesbian attraction, but all of the overt sexuality in the book is straight. It seems like it's trying to attract a lesbian audience, but afraid of offending the heterosexual buying public.

Mixed feelings from me. I enjoyed it very much in parts, and was put off a bit in others. Overall, a positive 4 star review, and I felt it was worth reading the sequel. But it never quite felt like it delivered on the promise I initially felt.

Great Mystery! Lots of fun. One step beyond the traditional woman sleuth; mystery novel. A new great character and a unique storyline. I enjoyed the mystery of the woman working behind the scene; lurking in the shadowds. And a woman who knows and enjoys all her electronic toys and gadgets. Do not miss"THE WOMAN WHO RODE TO THE MOON" A thinking woman book. Enjoy

History, a great story and an authentic historical craft! Not only that, but just the right size for girl-sized hands. A+++++++ Cannot be beat!

"Again, Josefina" is the second book published in the series of Josefina short stories. The setting of the story takes place shortly after the book "Josefina Learns a Lesson". Josefina is fascinated with Tia Dolores's piano and the wonderful music that Tia Dolores can make with it. Tia Dolores is willing to teach Josefina how to play, but Papa wonders if Josefina will be able to manage it with her chores and school lessons. Josefina persuades him to let her learn how to play the piano, but is quickly a disenchanted learner when she realizes that she must start from the beginning and practice more then she has time to do. When Josefina feels that she is not making progress, she asks Papa if she can quit. Instead of allowing her to quit, Josefina is challenged to find a way to practice. She is a clever child, and she finds a way to practice even when she is not sitting at the piano. Then, she finds her joy in playing the piano and acceptance for herself as a learner when her toddler nephew happily "dances" to her imperfect piano playing. This short story is an excellent tale of the frustration of learning something new, and the value of doing something for pleasure instead of perfection.

This is another one of the American Girls Short Stories series about Josefina Montoya, a nine-year-old girl living in the New Mexico of 1824. Josefina always loved watching her aunt Dolores playing the piano, and when she agrees to teach her how to play Josefina is overjoyed. However, very quickly, her piano lessons turn into drudgery, and Josefina begins to get discouraged. But, through the joy she brings to one listener, Josefina learns about trying again.

The final chapter of this book is a look at life on a New Mexican rancho, plus a quick lesson on a Mexican dance, la vaquerita. As with the other books in this wonderful series, Jean-Paul Tibbles' illustrations are excellently done, complimenting the story throughout.

This is another wonderful addition to the Josefina library. My daughter and I both enjoyed the story for itself, and I like the lesson it taught. My daughter and I both highly recommend this book!

"Again, Josefina!" is one of the "American Girls Short Stories" series of books for younger readers. Written by Valerie Tripp and illustrated by Jean-Paul Tibbles, this volume tells a tale about Josefina, who lives with her family on a New Mexico rancho in 1824. Josefina decides to learn to play the piano, but discovers that playing a musical instrument is harder than she expected.

An enjoyable story is nicely complemented by the warm, nicely detailed illustrations. The story is accompanied by a number of enjoyable supplemental features. There is a "Meet the Author" page. Also, "A Peek into the Past" takes a historical look at life in New Mexico in Josefina's time; this supplement is illustrated with reproductions of art and artifacts. "An American Girls Pastime" gives instructions on how to dance la Vaquerita, a traditional dance of New Mexico. Finally, there is a glossary of Spanish words used throughout the book: "cuentos," "rancho," etc. The whole book is about 50 pages long, making it perfect for readers who may not be ready to tackle a full-length novel. Overall, a well-done entry in the series.

I loved this book. It's part of the American Girls Collection. I've read a few other books in this collection, but That was years ago. I was happy to have enjoyed this book a much as the others. This is an easy read, even for younger readers. Perfect gift for young girls. I especially enjoyed the end of the book which has activities that the reader can do in order to feel like they are a part of the story too. Check out this book!

Detailed information for the herps of NM. Excellent dichotomous keys. Highly recommended.

Amphibians and reptiles abound in New Mexico: the state holds over 123 species, with almost fifty snakes alone. For a detailed, college-level review which includes technical art supplements, identification keys, distribution patterns, similar species outlines and more, make sure William G. Degenhardt, et.al.'s Amphibians And Reptiles Of New Mexico is on your bookshelf. Though a centerfold does pack in color photos, the meat of this study lies in its detailed natural history coverage, suitable for college-level study.

This book covers all known New Mexico herpetofauna (circa 1990's). Salamanders, snakes, lizards, etc, it's all here. There may have been some changes in the last decade, but this book is still the best I've found; the information it has is accurate, the diagrams, photos, descriptions, etc. are all clear enough to aid in identifying animals. Habitat descriptions are precise enough to actually be of use, etc. The language isn't full of technical jargon--it's actually accessible and understandable for people who didn't major in biology! All animals are dealt with as thoroughly as possible; sometimes there are gaps, but that's because we just don't know how common some animals are, or what they eat, etc. If the info for the animal is there, this book has it. Feeding, mating, size, range, behaviour, etc. It serves as my main (almost sole) reference for herps in NM. I bought it in the middle-late 90's in a bargin bin in some state park, and have used it to help me plan herping excursions everytime I've been there, and to help me ID dozens of herps. It's been worth every penny.

This is an excellent state work, with detailed and accurate text, excellent photographs, precise maps, and up-to-date scientific nomenclature. Common names are those standardized nationwide since 1978, with the exception of the names used for snakes of the genus Tantilla. Purchasers of this book should go to page 307 and simply cross out the tongue-twisting "black-headed" and replace it with Blackhead (so much easier pronounced; it just rolls off the tongue -- truly a common name). Highly recommended. Certainly the best book on the subject, and a must for all herpetologists. Buy it quick before they run out of copies.

There are many, even myriad, good things about this book. However, there are a few things I did not like and which, if corrected in a future revision, could turn this book into a world beater in the field of herpetology. First the "bad" things: 1. This book needs a topo and political map or several. Places and physical features are constantly mentioned but, other than the tiny range maps associated with each species account, there is only one map at the front of the book which shows the counties and major cities, that is if you consider Animas and Hobbs to be major cities. 2. The glossary needs improvement. There are many terms which are used constantly which should be defined but are not. For instance, in one species account, a lizard is described as having scales which are "imbricate and mucronate." Just for kicks, I looked in the glossary. "Mucronate" is defined - "imbricate" is not. 3. Find another way to arrange the "List of scientific and common plant names used in the text." There is no arrangement whatsoever to the list. Plants are listed alphabetically by genus under the family. However, the family names are haphazard. Thus, if one does not know the family name, one has to peruse the list from top to bottom to find the plant named in the text. Woe be unto the reader who doesn't know that Helianthus is in the family "Compositae," the last named family. Pardon me for saying this but it appears as if the authors used their college botany texts to research the family names. After years of not complying with nomenclatural convention, the botanists finally joined the world and changed family names to agree with convention. Thus, Compositae became Asteraceae and Gramineae became Poaceae, for example. Also, ALL plants mentioned should be listed, even aquatic plants. Plants are keys to finding reptiles and even subtle differences in plant denizens of a habitat may make a great deal of difference in the animals found there. NOW FOR THE GOOD STUFF The standard items are all found at the beginning of the book, e.g., Foreword, Preface, Acknowledgments followed by a concise Physiographic Sketch of New Mexico (Words, not pictures) which in no way can take the place of a good physical map of the state. One of the best features is a "Brief History of Herpetology in New Mexico" in which the authors give insight into the historical aspects of herpetology in the state. This theme is repeated in the text of the species accounts with interesting snippets of history intermixed with the drier facts of science. A checklist of NM herps is provided and this is where disagreements are going to arise. The authors utilize what some would consider "old" or "controversial nomenclature." However, if one reads the species accounts, all disputed uses of nomenclature are explained. Even though I disagree with some of the generic nomenclature used, the authors gave good and valid reasons for using what they did. There are good keys to all the major groups of herps in NM and they appear detailed enough to lead a novice to the right creature, as long as the scales are not imbricate. The species accounts are very well written except for the occasional typo - "then instead of than", for instance -and give loads of information. Virtually everything one would want to know about an animal is in here. The species accounts follow a format similar to the SSAR Catalogue species accounts and that is not at all bad. It might be good if a majority of this type of book were to follow a similar format. A very fine section of glossy photos is found in the midst of the species accounts. It seems that this is the way publishers are going to make books now so, take it or leave it. The photos, by the way, are arranged in the same manner as the text for fairly easy location. Degenhardt, et al, have compiled a magnificent bibliography with everything you ever wanted to know about New Mexico Herps and where to find it. The authors have years of experience in New Mexico herpetology and have used every one of those years in producing an outstanding volume. It's a little large to carry out in the field but it is worth every penny and when in New Mexico, should be at least carried in the vehicle. This book would be a bargain at twice the price.

This is a beautifully written and well-researched story, and to that extent it is a good book. Chuck and Mary Kastner are friends, and frequent visitors to our Bed & Breakfast, so I won't say any more about the book than "Buy it" you won't be disappointed!

The story on the other hand belongs not only to the book, but to American History. The racers formed a cross-section of American society, with some fascinating foreigners thrown in for good measure. The trials and tribulations of all the runners amazed me and their sheer persistence could not help but become fodder for the story. But more than that the story is of ordinary people whose characters and personalities were forever changed by their phenomenal efforts. When the leaders of the race cross into New York State, there is a gesture by the leading racer which brought tears to my eyes. I leave it to you to buy the book and read the story, and admire these Bunioneers.

Whether you're interested in running, history, or African American studies, you'll find this book fascinating. Well written and surprisingly well researched and referenced, Bunion Derby presents the story of the first footrace across the United States. Among the different elements of the footrace Kastner brings to life, the most intriguing is the story of Ed Gardner, an African American competitor from Seattle.
As ultra distance running becomes increasing popular in contemporary times, Bunion Derby reminds us that such feats of endurance and will have been part of the American fiber since well before the term 'ultramarathon' was heard of.

I found this book to be intriguing and inspirational. It is a book that anyone who is interested in the history of distance running should read. It tells the story of the 1928 footrace across the United States and the stories of the brave men who competed in the race. I couldn't put this book down. It was extremely well researched, and the stories of competitors were inspiring. I strongly recommend this book.

Ostensibly a book about running - it is concerned with the cross country foot race from Los Angeles to New York in 1928 - it is so much more. It is a slice of American history, our pride and our shame. Runners and walkers from all over the globe were competing for a $25,000 prize - a vast sum in those days. Many who entered did so for the money and what it might do for their families. It didn't matter that so many of these men lacked the training, the support people, and the proper attire for such an endeavor. C.C. Pyle, the promoter of the race, and all the attendant side show foolishness that capped most days of competition, promised food and housing along the way. (The eleven-foot tall coffee pot fastened on a truck chassis, a famous curiosity of the day, followed the racers and served the runners and staff 90 gallons of coffee a day).

The reality was this: The food Pyle provided was inadequate to such an arduous venture. Lodging was minimal - tents or boxcars barely serving to keep runners out of the worst of the weather. When one of the front runners persisted in publicly complaining about Pyle's lack of sufficient attention to the men, he received a telegram stating that his wife had died. She had, in fact, died several years earlier; the idea was that he would rush home and forget about the race.

The Black runners fared as well, or as poorly, as the rest of the pack until they ran smack into the Jim Crow South. There they were harassed and threatened. Their treatment was referred to by the international runners as "the most disgraceful thing they ever knew anything about."

Kastner has illuminated what was great and what was wrong with America as it was in 1928. Despite the scorching heat of the Mojave, the sleet, the wind, and the altitude of the mountains, the filthy, sweat-soaked clothing and ill-fitting shoes, and threats and humiliation aimed at the Black athletes, 55 men completed the 3,400-mile trek. These men rose to a challenge and would not be daunted. Why did so many put themselves through such an ordeal? As one racer put it, "Every man who finishes such a race is a winner. He has shown strength of heart and purpose, which should uplift him with pride and uplift his children after him."

The 1920's are famous for grandiose stunts and promotions. One of the most arduous was the great bunion derby of 1928. Brainchild of promoter Charles C. Pyle, this was a foot race from California to New York, spotlighting the newly laid Route 66. This grueling race attracted trained athletes from across the United States and beyond. But most participants were amateurs, ill-suited to the trial before them. They came for the glory, or the thrill, or perhaps the $25,000 prize. Of the 199 starters an ama zing 55 men completed the race.

Kastner's account follows African American, Ed Gardner, through the torturous ordeal. This is history that reads like a novel - absorbing and well-paced. Kastner brings into sharp focus the motivation, the perseverance, the will, the grit that made Gardner a hero of his day.