Southwest Books

This book is a delight. It is expertly written. The photographs could win awards. It is a work of art, but even better, it provides a succinct education for both experienced and casual outdoors people. The point of this book is to save your life, AND to save the lives of both venomous and non-venomous animals which are feared by an uninformed public. The animals described in this book are valuable environmental factors, live outdoors but sometimes indoors. Read this book and you will be the richer for it.

Expertly co-authored by Rich Wagner (Emergency Room Physician with a Ph. D in pharmacology and professional wildlife photographer) and Marie Wagner (an accomplished photographer and Registered Nurse), Tread Lightly: Venomous And Poisonous Animals Of The Southwest is a superbly illustrated and informative guide to identifying, avoiding, and surviving the venomous and poisonous wildlife in the American southwest. Tread Lightly provides the reader with an extensive understanding of each featured animal's range and habitat, physical characteristics, diet, behavior, reproduction and life cycles. Tread Lightly's thoroughly "reader friendly" text is enhanced with the inclusion of 55 full-color photographs of the animals to avoid (as well as harmless ones often encountered in the same region) for a more informed approach to identifying dangerous wildlife. An invaluable reference for avoidance of bites and an accurate aide of what to do in the case of an attack, Tread Lightly is very strongly recommended to hikers, campers, sightseers and vacationers in these areas inhabited by poisonous or venomous animals.

This is a must have for children under 8. My grandkids can not hear this enough times. I have developed voices for various things and they have nearly memorized the entire book, as 4 and 5 years olds. They have heard it hundreds of times and they love it nearly as much now as the first time we read it to them. They have hundreds of books, but this is, by far, their favorite. This is a terrific melding of story and illustration. Caveat - you had better like it if you buy it, because you be reading it a lot.

Coyote leads her animal friends on a spooky treasure hunt through the desert to a ghostly gully, but an uninvited and mischievous skunk decides to play the role of a ghost with unexpected results in Treasure Of Ghostwood Gully, a bright and fun tale enhanced by the colorful, large-sized drawings of Will Terry. Though billed as a 'Southwest Mystery', kids across the country will find it fun.

This newly revised edition of Richard C. Campbell's Two Eagles In The Sun: A Guide To U.S. Hispanic Culture is an in-depth look at Hispanic history, life, language, and traditions in America today. Written in a question-and-answer format, this wide-ranging informational guide addresses everything from "Why is Spanish called 'the Language of the Angels'?"; to "Why is the Virgin of Guadalupe Important to Hispanics?"; to "What are the usual stereotypes about Hispanics?" A first rate information source accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Two Eagles In The Sun is a highly recommended addition to community library collections and Hispanic American Studies reading lists.

Campbell does a great job offering concise information about Mexican Culture as it is related to the USA and Latin America. He offers insight for the Borderlands and the interior. This book is like the "Cliffs Notes" of Mexico. For a fast and easy-to-read book filled with information about issues such as: Battles, Holidays, Economy, History of the Country, Impact of NAFTA, Attitudes of Mexican People, etc.

This is a great reference tool that you will want on your bookshelf for a long time. It offers the nuts and bolts of the issues and you do not have to read all night to find the scoop on the situation. For further reading, the appendix and bibliography is great.

I grew up in Tyler, Texas, and recognize many of the places (and people) in the photographs of this book. The author did a great job of truly showing the history of this unique,east Texas town by using vintage and rare photos. For anyone with a family history in Tyler, this is a must-see book!

This is a wonderful book on the East Texas city which is the center of business and comfortable living for families. It's an ever growing area which showcases a number of beautiful flower shows each year: The Texas Rose Festival, the Azalea Trail and Gardens, the Hisotric Home Tours, the East Texas State Fair, among many other events throughout the year. It has number of beautiful historic districts which has many of it's original red brick streets. Tyler has a number of great colleges and huge medical centers which keeps growing. This book gives a great overall early history in photos of a progressive city thats located in the east texas piney woods.

I really have enjoyed this book on the architecture of the Dong Minority. It has excellent photographs and essays that illuminate rural, village life in southern China.

This is a great book, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the issues of modernization and of preservation of the heritage. I am an urban person and have lived in modernized cities all my life, and it would be simply ignorant to side with preserving the old town structures over the comfort of modern cities because as beautiful as the pictures of this book show, people seem to be in poor environments, and they would most likely have both admiration and suspicion about the modernization process and the rules of the majority. Nevertheless, one would wonder if there are any ways to bring in all the good aspirations modern movements (in architecture) have had without destroying the ingenious and indigenous cultures. It just feels like too much loss to think that these beautiful and carefree wooden structures, with the tradition of carpentry that created this vernacular architecture, might disapprear completely in near future. This book not only covers the residential architecture of the Dong minority but also discussions about the public spaces such as drum towers, village stages and wind-rain bridges in detail with drawings and gorgeous atmospheric black and white photos. The author makes sure that in case all things are replaced by generic modern elements, at least the memories of the past may be kept in a book by providing thoroughly researched history, rituals and lives of these people expressed through architecture.

Having read numerous books and articles about Wyatt Earp, Tombstone and the Gunfight behind the O.K. Corral, I agree with the author that Virgil Earp deserves much more historical recognition than he has been given. This book is an easy read and provides an excellent biographical history of the Earp family leading up to the Tombstone years. It also presents strong evidence that Virgil, not Wyatt, was viewed by his contemporaries as the chief law enforcement officer during those turbulant times. His life did not end after Tombstone and the book provides a much needed glimpse into the final years of this often forgotten lawman.

Coupled with great writing and actual documentation of facts, I highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to learn and understand this well-written book, "Virgil Earp: Western Peace Officer."

I picked up this book at the public library and have tried some of the recipes. The zucchini enchiladas are delicious and the zucchini hot cakes are tasty, too. I plan to purchase this book.

The various coffee cakes and muffins we've tried have become family favorites, particularly recipes such as "Root Beer Muffins", "Maple Muffins with Maple Butter Glaze" (so rich!!!), "Peaches and Cream Muffins" and "Snickerdoodle Coffeecake". And the various custard dishes are wonderful, too.

Barbara Harrelson writes: "Today Santa Fe is called the 'City Different', but New Mexico writer Erna Fergusson called it the 'City Incongruous'. In the 1928 Santa Fe Fiesta Program, she told visitors that 'Santa Fe's welcome to you includes this cordial invitation: to have your kind of a good time. Be yourself, even if it includes synthetic cowboy clothes, motor goggles, and a camera.'

"Incongruous Santa Fe invites you to walk its historic streets, browsing in its shops, galleries, and museums. It is best to explore Santa Fe in comfortable walking shoes -- carrying water to drink -- with map and guidebook, watching out for old streets with uneven sidewalks (or no sidewalks). It's no wonder that Santa Fe is one of the top walking cities in the country."

Harrelson leads walks for visitors, writes regular columns for local and national publications, and has put together this excellent guide filled with factoids about the many writers and poets that found Santa Fe fascinating. A few of the many personalities include D. H. Lawrence, Willa Cather, Robert Frost, Thornton Wilder, Carl Sandburg, John Galsworthy, Sinclair Lewis, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Alice Corbin Henderson, Witter Bynner, Spud Johnson, Mary Austin, Haniel Long and Oliver La Farge. Harrelson estimates that over a hundred authors and poets live full or part time in Santa Fe today.

Two other books deal with authors who found homes or inspiration in Santa Fe. Santa Fe and Taos: The Writer's Era, 1916-1941 (Southwest Heritage Series), according to Mike Smith's Review here on Amazon, "details the dramatic histories of both the Santa Fe and Taos writers' colonies, and does so clearly and entertainingly, drawing effectively from the authors' rich knowledge of New Mexico history in general. It's full of terrific photographs, and well worth whatever you pay for it."

Mike Smith also gives Literary Pilgrims: The Santa Fe and Taos Writers' Colonies, 1917-1950 by Lynn Cline five stars: "Everyone from Mary Austin to Willa Cather is explored here, as are D.H. Lawrence and Frank Waters. Among my recent research on the many writers of Santa Fe, this was certainly among the best books I discovered on the subject."

Walks In Literary Sante Fe is portable, clearly written and very useful to visitor and resident alike.

Robert C. Ross 2008

Santa Fe is home to an amazing abundance of well-known and talented authors--literally dozens of them--and this little book is an amazing guide to the city's incredible literary history.

The book is divided into two easy walking tours--one in the plaza area and one around Canyon Road--and using those two tours to give the book a structure, this very readable little volume gives a concise and clearly written crash course in the city's literary past. What's even cooler is that you can't really tell such a history without incorporating facts from the city's broader history, so by the time you reach the last page, you're guaranteed to know the City Different much better than you ever did. It'll make you see the place differently, for sure.

This is one of three great books about literary Santa Fe (that I know of), and certainly the fastest read of the bunch. For anyone who lives in New Mexico, and especially for anyone who lives in or visits Santa Fe, I couldn't recommend it more highly.

The author also gives actual walking tours of the city (which inspired this book), and if you ever get a chance to take one, you really should. They're as good as the book--except you'll need to find a place to park.

Barbara Harrelson has put together a wonderful way to explore the very interesting city of Santa Fe. More than just a guide book to Santa Fe, it is more like a knowledgible friend taking you by the hand and leading you on adventures both historical and modern.

For example. How many of us know that the English writer D. H. Lawrence owned a ranch a few miles from Taos, New Mexico, and his wife Frieda lived out the rest of her life there after D. H. died. They are both buried on the ranch.

Have this book in hand when you explore Santa Fe and the surrouning area, or when you just want to curl up in a comfortable chair in your home to learn something about the history of the Southwest.

This is one of the better books I have read on Northern New Mexico history and culture....This book is FULL of phrases and definitions...Most of the stories are either first hand or oral history passed down to Fabiola..If you want to get a feel of life in New Mexico back in the day..This is a GREAT book....It aslo has a good chapter on Vincent Silva and his criminal ring..Very interesting....I'm going to get Fabiola's book on New Mexico cooking next!!.......Green Chile......mmmmmmmm

I adore this slice of life on the eastern New Mexico plains, the Llano Estacado. Cabeza de Baca is an amazing lady, and her childhood remembrances are well worth reading for history buffs, who've probably already enjoyed it, as well as for people who just like to know how people lived on ranches in this era.

Great book full of wonderful pictures and great historic information. My daughter can spend hours exploring the book time and time again.

"Josefina's World" is an excellent supplement to the Josefina chapter books and short stories. Although each chapter book and short story has a section in the back with historical information that is relevant to the story in the book, "Josefina's World" is a colorful, informative historical overview with the kinds of information that readers will most want to know. There are wonderful cut-away pictures of Josefina's rancho and of a pueblo, which many children will find appealing. The experiences of birth, childhood, and marriage are covered along with fashion, cleanliness, faith, health and medicine, and the importance of the role of the community. Stories of real people of the time and the retelling of the folk tale of "La Llorona" supplement the text. Historical information slips in with the coming of the Spanish, the blending of Pueblo and Spanish cultures, the significance of trade from Mexico City and the Santa Fe Trail, and the coming of the Americans in the mid-nineteenth century. The text is divided into short sections that are easy to read and full of accurate, important historical information. The pictures show delightful representations of colonial New Mexico and even someone who does not read the text will get a comprehensive view of Josefina's World.