New Mexico Books

Hot Biscuits is a very highly entertaining and recommended anthology of 18 original stories about the ranching West by both men and women provide a fine Western flavor and diversity, from a story of cowpokes who wrangle bargain horses to Dick Hyson's story of cowboys, truth, and a good yarn. Chatty, revealing, and filled with twists and turns are these old-fashioned Westerns.

Most books about writing seem more like revenue generators for the author or editor than they are helpful to beginning authors. Most have little practical information that a beginning writer can apply. "Hot Coffee and Cold Truth" is not only a very practical guide for beginning writers but is a great read.

W.C. Jameson has done a masterful job in selecting the contributors for this anthology. The book draws its strength from its focus on writers that love the American West in all of its many facets. The breadth of the scope of primary interests of the various contributors is comprehensive. But, throughout the articles contributed by the various writers, there are commonalities that bind them and provide guidance for beginning writers.

It is apparent in reading the selections that if one is going to write about the West, one must have a passion for it. There are no formulas and the techniques of the various contributers are quite different. All of them manifest a true independence of mind and a disregard for the politically correct.

After reading the articles, one comes away with the feeling that it would be a real privilege and pleasure to sit down and converse with any of the authors. They are an extraordinary group opf people to be sure.

Of particular benefit in reading the pieces by each author is the recommendations they make about the sort of books that need to be read by beginning writers. The practical inspiration for writing, regardless of publishing success, is the primary benefit that will be drawn from this book.

Some "magical realism" stories (with dead relatives interacting with the living) seem contrived; this memoir's use of the same device does not. Though I am not Hispanic nor Spanish-speaking, I am a native of Texas and loved this book. It resonated with me in part because much of it takes place in Texas (El Paso), and also because I find family histories compelling (my own family -- and other families).I disagree with the New York Times reviewer (above and on the book jacket) who says the author's use of Spanish phrases cannot be picked up from context clues. Nonsense! The author gives the English translation right in the same paragraph!A good read that can be picked up and put down as time warrants.

Wow! You must step outside your current view of life in these United States to make sense of Birchfield's knowledge, cynicism, sarcasm, wit, and predictions for the future of our country. He bases it all on past history that you probably have never heard (nor had I). I challenge you to read the book, and then act on some of his suggestions! Do beware if you believe in God. There are a couple of tough pages in the book that explain his atheist views. I was able to separate that from everything else he says and still appreciate his work.

This is a valuable book (resource) for budding entrepreneurs. It seems to try to cover all the bases for starting a small business, but it can't do them all well in the space available between its covers. The book is only 288 pages long. If you are in the planning stages of starting a small business, then I highly recommend you get a copy of this book. Read it, study it, and outline it. There are helpful checklists to help you grasp the subjects. You will come up with a plethora of keywords and terms that you will want to google to find Web pages giving more detailed (and maybe more current) information.

I am a SCORE counselor (Senior Corps of Retired Executives) who typically does face-to-face counseling sessions three nights a month. It would really be neat if my clients would read this book BEFORE they came to their session with me because they would pretty much be "educated customers" ready to ask educated questions. Our sessions would be so much more beneficial.

My favorite chapters were:

1. Initial business concerns
2. Your business' structure
3. Business start-up details
5. Sources of business assistance (SCORE is mentioned here)
7. Your smart business plan (and a good sample plan is included)
8. Obtaining the financing you need

The book is weak when it comes to how the Internet can be used in corresponding, hiring, and marketing. But this is just one example of how googling keywords and concepts found in the book will make the book more complete. Don't treat the book as authoritative on the law. It isn't. Nor was it ever intended to be. It is light on tax information as it relates to small business.

I was particularly impressed with the material presented in Chapter 2: Choice of Legal Entity. That subject is sorely ignored in most small business books, and it is critically important. It is a subject I regularly must spend a great deal of time discussing at my SCORE sessions. This book does a pretty good job on the topic.

Chapters 4 and 9 through 12 are easy to find fault with. The topic of each could fill a book. But having these topics covered definitely will help a budding entrepreneur know some of the issues they raise.

I would have liked the book more if Chapter 6 (marketing) had been less superficial. When I read it I got the impression that the author was more a public relations expert than a marketing expert. I generally categorize public relations as a subset of marketing. Marketing includes advertising, public relations, and a whole host of other promotion techniques. I did not get this message when I read the book. I also would have liked the book better if the Internet, email, and Web sites had been discussed more. But there are many books on those subjects. Therefore, I can't complain too much about the limited discussion of computers.

When you read this book it may feel a little like it was produced on an assembly line. Maybe it was? There are 51 versions of this book sold; one for each state and the District of Columbia. Content is king, and this book has it. 5 stars!

I dont think we've ever met but my dad said I should tell you I am part of your family.My name is Rachel Marie Ponce daughter of Steven Tomas Ponce.I would like to meet you some day. bye, Rachie

...announced by that high-pitched hum that is the onomatopoeia origins for the bird's name. Dan True explains in his introduction that when he lived in the Palo Duro canyon, near Amarillo, he was actually trying to photograph the bird at the opposite end of the size spectrum - the bald eagle - when his obsession with the hummingbird began. This book is a distillation of his experiences with these magnificent creatures, valuable for the specialist, as well as those who simply hang a feeder in their backyard.

In this book he covers their migration, one of whose principal routes, no doubt due to the uplift provided, is along the Continental Divide. He raises reasonable speculation that the tiny Rufous might actually fly further than the known distance record set by the Arctic tern, which is 11,000 plus miles as it makes its way from the Arctic to the Antarctic. He also covers their colors, mating habits, nesting, and predators. He provides practical advice on feeders, the timing for placing them outside, and the recommended percentage of sugar, which my wife faithfully follows, with excellent results. He also identifies the flowers most likely to attract them. The section on feeding is a good fourth of the book.

Almost half the book is a specific guide to the 16 breeding species in North America. The guide includes their geographic distribution, with maps, excellent photographs of each, their winter locations and size specifications. Of the species, the Rufous is the most aggressive. He also includes a detailed chapter on how to photograph the birds, and appendixes on hummer "trivia" and geographical distribution by state.

This is an essential book for anyone wanting to expand one's knowledge about this most unique bird category.

This is a terrific collection of information for anyone interested in watching, feeding and hosting these marvelous birds. Topics include interaction between humans and hummers, emotional attachment, celebrations, banding; research; places to see hummingbirds in Texas; gardening to attract the birds; feeder advice; how to photograph these tiny birds; and finally the identification guide to all 19 of the species that have appeared in the region.

The guide sets aside two pages for each species, and impressively includes both a photo and several painted illustrations of the different sexes, a range map, seasonal abundance graph, and description of the species (with behavior and song).

The photos throughout the book by Sid and Shirley Rucker are incredible and worth looking at all alone, and the paintings by Clemente Guzman III in the guide section are excellent. Even the illustration on the back of the book's slip cover is delightful -- all 19 species of hummingbird described within.

Although too large to use as field guide, this book is a must-have for hummer-lovers of any age at home, and would make a wonderful gift. Highly recommended.

My wife and I enjoy watching the hummingbirds through our front window and I decided to find a reference book on the little birds so we could see what kinds shared our front yard.
I was amazed to find so much information in one small book about hummingbirds and so many beautiful pictures to help identify them. There is information about their nesting, eating, migrations and tips to help encourage the birds to share your yard. It is also amazing that because of their extreme need for high energy food and the scarcity of nectar, they are born to be very aggressive to protect their sources.
The author did us all a great favor in writing this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to watch hummingbirds

New Mexico, and the Taos area in particular, has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. John Nichols captures this beauty perfectly in his first of the Taos series, "If Mountains Should Die." Accompanied by heart-grabbing photographs, this book describes his first few years in Taos as a transplanted East-Coaster. Nichols not only captures the raw beauty of the land, but also the people that occupy it. Along with this, he describes the disturbing and continous struggle to keep it alive and free from suburbanization. His personal and touching accounts of his own struggle with the place and the people bring it alive in unexpected ways. There is also plenty of respect here, along with a deep anger for what is being done to the land, the people, and the unique way of life found in Taos Valley. As this is a very special place in my heart, I found it easy to cry and laugh along with him.

In Iguana Killer there are several stories of young boys and the growing up they have to do usually without too much financial security and the constant challenges that they meet in a bilingual as well as a bi-cultural setting. Rios has a gift for interpreting what goes on in young boys minds, and the stories themselves make for very good reading.