Southwest Books

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, columnist and reviewer for MyShelf and author of This is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered

Here they are!
Five guidebooks,all part of a series, that look and feel more like art books.

Five guidebooks so closely related that they become a library or set suitable to give as a gift to anyone who lives in, travels in or just loves the Southwest.

Published by Rio Nuevo Publishers, an imprint of Treasure Chest Books, these slender paperbacks have a different polish than most guidebooks, both outside and in. The covers have a satin-finish feel. The pictures in each are full color and so well done you may feel less tempted to buy a piece of art in any one of these categoriesýor more tempted as the case may be. There are diagrams and maps in full color and other information like histories for the artists, the genealogy of related artists, etc. Anything that will help a reader/art lover to understand the subject better. Bibliographies, indexes, suggested readings and pronunciation guides are also included as needed.

Mostly, these are helpful well-written guides by knowledgeable authors like Kent McManis, Mark Bahti, and Robert Jeffries. Youýll find them on Amazon and other sites that sell books under their separate titles and here they are:

A Guide to Zuni Fetishes and Carvings, both Volume I and Volume II
A Guide to Hopi Katsina Dolls
A Guide to Navaho Weavings
A Guide to Navaho Sandpaintings


(Carolyn Howard-Johnsonýs first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards.
Her newly released Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remember has won three.)

A great overview of fetishes, charms, and amulets made by Southwest Indian tribes. I like the mix of stories from Indian's folklore and the power from the fetish would provide to user. Now my collection of fetishes have now taken more meaning and understandings from Indian point of view. Also there is notes about material used in making the fetish. Why the color plays great role in fetish. Great reading and must reading if you collect fetishes from Southwest.

This book is awesome and I think that adults and kids will love it. Like the the reviewer before me, this book would be enjoyed by English as a second language people - and, I'd add everyone!!

This story is FUNNY and well written.

This book is a must for any English as a Second Language teacher. My students have truly enjoyed reading and re-reading this tale. Mr. Hayes grabbed my students' interest with the a sprinkling of Spanish and Rebecca Leer catered to the culture with marvelous artwork....a must read

If you are a spoon collector or an aficionado of handcrafted silver, this is a wonderful book for your shelf. It has page after page of wonderful photos, featuring Najavo designed silver spoons and many, many of the commercially-made varieties. The text is by far the most readable of any spoon collecting book, and even though its primary focus is on spoons with Western themes, it covers the whole history of spoon collecting. As such I think it is one of the best books out there on the subject.

THIS IS A STUNNING 60 PAGE GOTTA HAVE BOOK OF COLLECTIBLE,STERLING, SOUVENIR SPOONS.

IT IS IN A BIG 8-1/2 INCH BY 11 INCH FORMAT.

IT COMMEMORATES SOUVENIR SPOONS OF THE WEST BY COMBINING BOTH THE COMMERCIALLY MADE VARIETIES WITH THE HAND HEWN NATIVE AMERICAN ONES SPANNING THE PERIOD FROM 1890-1941.

THE AUTHOR HAS DRAWN FROM OUTSTANDING PRIVATE COLLECTIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHED EXAMPLES OF SPOONS AND ASSORTED MEMORABILIA, MANY OF WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN SHARED WITH AN AUDIENCE BEFORE

THERE ARE 60 PAGES FILLED WITH UNIQUE, GORGEOUS,COLORED PHOTOGRAPHS. THESE ARE INCREDIBLY CREATIVE, 3-DIMENSIONAL JUXTAPOSITIONS AND LAYERINGS OF COLLECTIBLE SPOONS AND RELATED SILVERWARE. IN MANY INSTANCES THE SOUVENIR SPOONS ARE SET AGAINST NATIVE AMERICAN BASKETS,JEWELRY AND POTTERY, WESTERN ICONOGRAPHY,VINTAGE LINEN POSTCARDS,EARLY PICTORIAL DOCUMENTS AND MORE.

MOREOVER, SOME OF THESE ARE PHOTOGRAPHED AGAINST BACKDROPS OF MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS,SAGUARO STUDDED LANDSCAPES AND RAINBOW COLORED SUNSETS.

ALTHOUGH AT FIRST GLANCE THE BOOK APPEARS TO APPEAL TO A DISTINCT,NICHE MARKET, IT ACTUALLY SPANS A BROAD RANGE OF INTERESTS AND COLLECTIBLES SINCE SOUVENIR SPOONS ENCOMPASS HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, ETHNOGRAPHY,RELATED SILVER WARE AND ARTS AND CRAFTS.

FOR THE NATIVE AMERICAN COLLECTOR, THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF INFORMATION ON FRED HARVEY AND HIS INFLUENTIAL COMPANY AND THERE ARE DAZZLING ARTIFACTS TO BEHOLD,MANY WITH THE FAMED THUNDERBIRD LOGO.

THERE ARE NAVAJO SILVER TRAYS,SNUFF BOTTLES,SILVER AND TURQUOISE SPOONS WITH STAMPINGS OF INDIAN SYMBOLS INCLUDING ARROWS, WHIRLING LOGS AND ANIMAL TRACKS.

IN ADDITION, THERE ARE OUTSTANDING EXAMPLES OF EARLY NAVAJO PROFILE SPOONS AND RARE, FIGURAL,NAVAJO SPOONS WITH ANIMALS

FOR THE SOUVENIR SPOON COLLECTOR, THERE IS A RICH HISTORY ABOUT WHICH TO READ. THIS IS COMBINED WITH AN AMAZING NUMBER OF SPECTACULAR EXAMPLES OF SPOONS FROM TOURIST ATTRACTIONS ,INCLUDING THE COMMEMORATION OF THE FUNICULAR RAILWAY ON MOUNT LOWE,THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, WESTERN DUDES AND CHIEFTAINS AND EVEN ONE WITH CHIEF GERONIMO'S IMAGE ETCHED INTO THE BOWL.

THIS BOOK CONTAINS AN ARRAY OF HIGHLY DETAILED SPOONS WITH ENAMELED BOWLS THAT ARE HIGHLY PRIZED BY COLLECTORS

MANY OF THE INVENTIVELY ORCHESTRATED PHOTOGRAPHS ARE SPICED WITH WHIMSY. FOR INSTANCE, THERE IS A PLAQUE OF AN INDIAN ROWING A CANOE AND THE OAR IS A CLEVERLY INSERTED, NATIVE AMERICAN CRAFTED SPOON. THE BACKDROP FOR SOME MAYAN FIGURAL TEASPOONS IS A STRIKING IMAGE OF A MEXICAN PYRAMID FROM A TOURIST BROCHURE. A BULLFIGHTER SPOON IS PLACED ATOP AN ADVERTISEMENT OF A TIJUANA BULLFIGHT. IT APPEARS THAT THE SPOON IS BETWEEN THE BULLFIGHTER'S CAPE AND THE BULL. A SPOON COMMEMORATING THE HOPI SNAKE DANCE SHOWS THE PRESCOTT SMOKI SNAKE DANCERS AS A FITTING BACKDROP THAT MAKES THE IMAGERY ON THE SPOON COME TO LIFE.

THIS WOULD BE A FABULOUS ADDITION TO YOUR SILVER SOUVENIR COLLECTIBLE OR NATIVE AMERICAN LIBRARY OR A TERRIFIC GIFT TO A COLLECTOR OF NATIVE AMERICAN OR WESTERN ARTIFACTS, JEWELRY,SPOONS,POSTCARDS OR HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS . IT IS JAM PACKED WITH VISUAL AND HISTORIC DELIGHTS.

You certainly will get your monies worth should you purchase this item. It has something for every level of stained glass crafting.

Not your usual collection of SW stained glass patterns. These patterns are presented by a true lover of the Southwest and it shows in their art. From landscapes to Native American art, this collection virtually covers it all and covers the subject with class. Thanks for a great collection. My clients love the the designs and the resulting window art.

I really enjoyed this book! Several of my fiends have read it and everyone loved it. We all think it would make a great movie. Has Phillis Stevens written any more books?

Set in the Southwest (New Mexico), this light tale of discarded wives & how they team up to make a new start is funnier & cleverer than Olivia Goldsmith's big hit. A sleeper, if you will.Gussying up & gutsying up, these gals are fun to meet.

I just love this book! My children enjoy the building of the storm and the calmness afterward. It is a great bed time story.

A well-written, well-illustrated book on how the desert experiences rain and the animals who live for the infrequent event of abundant supply of water. I recently read this book to my third grade bilingual(Spanish/English) classroom when we were working on our desert unit. Along with the words and illustrations, I included some music that also corresponded with the movement of the story. At first my students didn't connect, but when the downpour occurred, they instantly related to what was happening. When asked to declare their favorite selection of all of the books we had read in the unit, my students overwhelming selected this book. This is a must-have book for any library!

The famous Mexican writer, Carlos Fuentes, said, in effect, that the Hispanic world did not come to America, America came to the Hispanic world. No book reveals this with more clarity and accuracey that this one. It represents 400 years of history of what is now the American Southwest. The author writes with the dramatic eloquence of a seasoned novelist creating a history book that is, of all things, a "page turner." It reveals epics, sagas, villans, and both noted and anonymous heroes. It is a shame so many of our educational systems do not teach this history becasue it is the story of millions of Amerians and fully one-third of United States territory. If anyone has ever looked at a map and wondered why so many mountains, cities, villages, rivers, plains, states, and people have Native American or Spanish names, this book will answer those questions and more, it will help them appreciate Mr. Fuentes' insight.

The famous Mexican writer, Carlos Fuentes, said, in effect, that the Hispanic world did not come to America, America came to the Hispanic world. No book reveals this with more clarity and accuracey that this one. It represents 400 years of history of what is now the American Southwest. The author writes with the dramatic eloquence of a seasoned novelist creating a history book that is, of all things, a "page turner." It reveals epics, sagas, villans, and both noted and anonymous heroes. It is a shame so many of our educational systems do not teach this history becasue it is the story of millions of Amerians and fully one-third of United States territory. If anyone has ever looked at a map and wondered why so many mountains, cities, villages, rivers, plains, states, and people have Native American or Spanish names, this book will answer those questions and more, it will help them appreciate Mr. Fuentes' insight.

This book is a must for all who love the Smoky Mountains. In it you meet those players who made this magical place what it is today, including the wind and rain, early pioneers and geologists, loggers, whisky distillers, woodsmen and rangers. If you want to get beyond the slide shows and park brochures, read this book and learn what the Smokies are really all about.

This book is a must have for any library on Appalachia or the Great Smoky Mountains. Michael Frome does an admirable job balancing sensitivity for the mountain people, their customs, attitudes, and anomalies with historical research and insightful commentary about the creation of the Park and its future. Being a native of the region, from a long line of Appalachian families, I felt that I understood my home more after reading this book than I ever would have otherwise. With equal nods to conservationists and tourists alike, this book will educate, entertain, and enlighten anyone who cares about this most beautiful and mysterious of regions. Additionally, Frome implores the reader to know the Park intimately, to abandon the car and strike out on foot, to rejoice fully with Mother Nature in Her playground. The addition of Strangers In High Places to your collection will be one of the best decisions to be made.

Michael Checchio is one of the nation's best writers about nature. This volumn is, in fact, a concise and beautiful evocation of the Southwest, full of paradox. In a passage about the San Juan River in New Mexico, for instance, Checchio describes how a well-intentioned environmental approach -- catch-and-release -- can produce bizarre results: huge, docile trout that give up virtually without a fight. That might be a metaphor for what is happening to much of the Southwest. And yet, Checchio evokes the beauty and timelessness of the place. This is a wonderful book.

Michael Checchio is one of the nation's best writers about nature. This volumn is, in fact, a concise and beautiful evocation of the Southwest, full of paradox. In a passage about the San Juan River in New Mexico, for instance, Checchio describes how a well-intentioned environmental approach -- catch-and-release -- can produce bizarre results: huge, docile trout that give up virtually without a fight. That might be a metaphor for what is happening to much of the Southwest. And yet, Checchio evokes the beauty and timelessness of the place. This is a wonderful book.

Of all the books my brother, Bill has written, I most love this one. SUNSTRUCK is about the area of the world on which he is an expert, a remote area of the Sonoran Desert, but more importantly, these are thought-provoking essays on life and living. Even if, like me, you don't usually read essays about the natural world I think you'll appreciate his writing style and world outlook. Bill shares anecdotes about the outdoor life, hiking, those he meets and gets to know in the desert (including la migra and people escaping the border patrol, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, bighorn sheep) that make the reader feel as if they are there with Bill at the moment of encounter.

So I hope you'll enjoy a book about a wondrous place in the world that few people visit, and even fewer understand: El Gran Desierto, the Devil's Highway. Yes, this review is written by the author's sister, but don't hold that against me. Given my proclivity to reading fiction, I might not have picked up this book if my brother hadn't written it. I am so glad I had the opportunity to enjoy his vivid use of language and to vicariously experience some of Bill Broyles' adventures in the desert.

It is officially called El Camino del Diablo-The Devil's Highway. It's also known by a variety of other names best left out of this review. It stretches for some 130 miles of desert from Sonoyta, in Mexico's state of Sonora, to Yuma, Arizona, on the Colorado River. There is precious little permanent water and ground temperatures can, and do, reach 150 degrees and more. It includes parts of two national monuments, a national wildlife refuge, and a gunnery range in Arizona not to mention various intities in Mexico. The are can be explored via foot or four-wheel drive vehicle. It can be done. It's done every year by experts and fools, lots of fools, legal and illegal. Many don't make it. It is a killer. If you are intrigued by scorpions, drug smugglers, sidewinders, bandits, illegal aliens, rattlesnakes, sand storms, unbearable heat, lack of water, a military gunnery range, and a host of other unbelievable challenges this is the trip for you. I don't know of any typical travel or guide book that will prepare you for this trip but this book comes as close as any to providing one with a sense of what to expect and when to go. It is probably the very best book ever published about this special place. The author and photographer have a knack of presenting a highly readable, visually accurate account of the dangers and beauty that await the visitor to a place noted author Charles Bowden says "...we finally get to face ourselves because we are alone with life itself." I have done this trip in a four-wheel drive vehicle and can only say be careful...very careful. This is a must read both for the armchair traveler and boots on the ground type.