Nevada Books

Snowshoe Thompson is a wonderful book about an immigrant who has helped a young boy communicate with his father. This book has kept the interest of our 1/2 year old and 3 year old during our night time story reading ritual. Having read it at least 100 times, I am still delighted to read it to our boys.

Reading this fast-paced, humorous, rags-to-riches story was a treat for me -- a native Nevadan. But more than that it's a story of talent and old-fashioned gumption. Rollan is a self-effacing man who made it to the top without smashing all who met him on the way up. If anything, he brought all who were willing to come with him to the party of life. It's a wonderful gift for family and friends -- but be sure to keep a copy for yourself.

Libraries strong in California history will welcome SPLENDID MOUNTAINS a survey of the mountains to the north and east of Paradise Valley, which uses first-person observation to reveal early explorations, observations, and adventures in their exploration. It's an excellent survey for any library strong in California's pioneer history and provides a host of first-person experiences under one cover, essential for any who regularly seek California history source materials.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The author is tough where he needs to be, but fair and often funny in the way he talks about the facilities he has visited and played. Presented in a convenient, pocket-sized format, this book has it all. You get an insider's review of each golf facility in Nevada from the perspective of golfers of all abilities, as well as women, juniors, and seniors. There are also spot-on recommendations for aprés-golf activities in that famed land of sagebrush and sin. A top-to-bottom ranking of every Nevada course, plus fun specialty lists make this an indispensible resource and a very enjoyable read.

This is not your standard coffee-table photo book. Rather, it's a window into the heart of a unique college... one so totally unlike any other college in America (the world?) that it's almost mind-boggling.

I came across it while getting obsessive about my older son's college search. (He's a high school junior and totally blase at this stage; I'm going blissfully insane pouring through the 3-inch-thick college guides.) I kept reading in the college guides about Deep Spings, and every description impelled me to look for more information.

Imagine: A huge cattle and alfalfa ranch in the middle of nowhere (the California high desert near the Nevada border). A student body of 26 young men with average SATs of 1500 who literally run the place and do most of the ranch work. A faculty of a half-dozen or so (essentially hired by the students), some just stopping by for a semester; none tenured. Two years of an intense combination of studying and discussion, physical work, and incredible community spirit. Students finish their undergraduate work by transferring to a "regular" college (typically Ivy League and Ivy-quality).

The book is mostly just pictures of the students, with a short commentary by each of them. There are also a couple of good essays, one by the college's president. The black & white photos are of high quality, though nothing extraordinary. But the combination of the students' images and their own words is amazingly effective in conveying who they are and what they feel about the school and about life.

Immensely cool, but only for a select audience. Five stars if you are in that audience. Not worth the money if you are just curious.

For anyone who is at all interested in the environment, or the American West, or issues of nuclear waste, this book is a must. Kuletz does something that is lacking in our radio, t.v., news magazine, and newspaper reports on environmental issues--she reveals the cultural biases in our Western, "objective" perspective. She also listens and presents the testimony of Native Americans on their desert homelands. This belongs on the bookshelf with Rachel Carson's _Silent Spring_ and Carole Gallagher's _American Ground Zero_.

If you're interested in teachers' first-hand experiences with team teaching and loads of practical advice, this book is for you! It's a good read!

Haslam finds the mystical in the mundane, pearls of innocence in a room full of naivete'. Based in the rustic California Central Valley, Haslam creates a field of characters with rich, vivid voices. Raw and humorous, he often takes readers off guard with his expressionistic storytelling. Please seek and read his entire library

Homer Hailey follows the evidence in the gospel of John for the deity of Jesus of Nazareth. His comments are precise, clear and forceful. These things are written so that you might believe in Jesus as the Christ; and the arguments made by John in his gospel and the evidence is overwhelming. As usual, Hailey is concise, clear, and convincing.

This book is a must for anyone who wants to re-trace, in person, the actual trails made by the California wagon-train emmigrants from 1846 - 1880's. The maps and narrations are invaluable to anyone who wants to go to the actual trails made and walked by these pioneers. 4-wheel drive is a must for a large percentage of where these trails take you. Don't try them in a 2-wheel vehicle.