Nevada Books

For those of us who love the desert Southwest, it captures the sense of place. The odd mix of characters inherent in Nevada, each multi-dimensional. Compelling story and central characters - I was glued to it. Interesting thoughts on a monk's spiritual pursuits and, of course, temptations. I hoped at times for it to soar even higher into the abstract, but then remembered how grounded in material reality is this setting, and how palpable is the balance between inner peace (the open land) and corruption (the people) there. Felt the ending a little awkward, but still I praise. Read it!

Blunt, no-nonsense prose conveys a dark vision of the modern struggle to maintain religious commitment in this novel set outside Las Vegas. After finalizing plans to use nearby Shoshone land as a nuclear waste disposal site, the Department of Energy has begun efforts to drive out local residents, including the two eponymous monks who live at a Cistercian hermitage in the area. St. Ed, troubled by the monastery's failure to attract postulants and by his bishop's orders to give into the DOE without a fight, wants to make his order more responsive to contemporary society. Brother S, attracted to Bureau of Land Management employee Amy Chavez, finds his vows tested when St. Ed abandons the Cistercian rules and allows Amy to enter the hermitage as a postulant. As the deadline to vacate approaches, the ensuing chaos leads to a tragic act of violence, simultaneously pointless and inspirational, that infuses a note of hope into the novel's bleak tone. Bergon (Shoshone Mike) mixes non-preachy spiritual meditations with an all-too-believable plot; while he's fair to all characters, he leaves no doubt whose side he is on. A solid read that treats faith seriously and doesn't offer easy answers about its place in today's world.

St. Ed is the crusty, foulmouthed founder of a Trappist hermitage in the Nevada desert; Brother S (for Simon) is the one monk in fifteen years who has stuck it out. He has found the monastic peace he sought, keeping bees, irrigating the vegetable garden, and studying church texts. Brother S is disturbed when Ed more or less advertises the hermitage by appearing on a Vegas talk show; he is disturbed in a different way when he rescues a stranded female ranger from the Bureau of Land Management. But everyone - the ranger, Ed, Brother S, local desert rats, and the nearby Shoshone Indians - is more than disturbed when the United States Department of Energy swoops down upon the desert, intending to run its inhabitants off and install a nuclear-waste repository. The author beautifully captures the self-congratulatory hypocrisy of government officials who call themselves "environmentalists" while plotting the destruction of the environment, and worse. And he dwells upon the attractions of the contemplative life so seductively that, for once, you hope the guy will not get the girl.

Sharon Giacomazzi is one of an elite class of authors who can seemlessly blend local history and hiking into a well written guidebook. Although the title features Yosemite prominently, this book also covers Hwy 49, the wonderful road through Gold Country, Alpine County, the Eastern Sierra and White Mountains. Each section of the book includes a broad survey of the region, followed by "chapters" of a few pages highlighting a particular locale and one or more hiking opportunites nearby.

The "tales" part of the book is the obvious strength. Readers will be treated to various theories about the lost treasure of Ophir Mountain, the many changes to the Sierra Railroad, and the desparate shootout at Convict Lake. Giacomazzi offers readers several opportunites to explore historic townsites like Bodie and Hornitos. Readers will also learn about the discovery of the Sierra "Big Trees" (Sequoia's) and the preservation of that site in today's Calveras Big Trees State Park. Of course, the history of Yosemite, beginning with the Mariposa Battalion and running through the present day, is also ably covered by the author.

The hike selection in this book is excellent. All are dayhikes and most are between 1 and 10 miles; the obvious exception is the 17 mile round trip hike to Half Dome. What impressed me most about the book, however, were the number of out of the way hikes that Giacomazzi listed. She does not list the ever popular Mariposa Grove of Sequoias within Yosemite, but she does describe Nelder Grove, a quiet grove just a few miles from the park border. Indeed, for the most part this guide will quickly get walkers to places of relative solitude even on a summer weekend. Of course, a few classics of the Park, Mt. Dana and the aforementioned Half Dome, are included.

On the whole this is an excellent guide. Hiking descriptions are sometimes brief but based on my experience, they are accurate. The history is sure to enliven any visit to Yosemite. The black and white photos that accompany the text are nice and the sketch trail maps are decent. (In the case of some of the longer hikes, I would recommend supplementing these with a good topo map. In the park, the best choices are the Tom Harrison Maps.) Get the book and enjoy. It is one of the best publications among many good ones from Bored Feet Press.

(Readers interested in similar history/hiking books should look to Jerry and Gisela Rohde's wonderful book, Redwood National and State Parks: Tales, Trails and Auto Tours.)

I have had the pleasure of walking many of the same trails that Sharon writes about in this book. The maps and directions are most excellent--if a description says 3/10 of a mile, then that's what it is. There is nothing quite so frustrating as having a wonderful day of walking planned only to be thwarted by crappy directions to the trail head. The historical focus is like icing on the cake-each of these walks are very enjoyable by themselves but when you have a greater knowledge of place and time, the whole experience is greatly enhanced.
So, even if you've tried other hiking books and been disappointed, don't pass this one by. There is something for everyone here. Highly Recommended and a great read even if you don't get out much!

Sharon has had agoraphobia for 20 or more years, and yet she has conquered her fears by hiking around 10,000 miles on foot with a friend or two intoe for companionship. She has shared her research and emotions along with the visual descriptions of each of these hikes in her first book. It is a book that will inform and delight every reader, even if you never take that first step upon the worn trail.
She includes facinating tidbits that have been well researched, and provides pictures long buried in private and government archives. Sharon has also tried to inform the reader about the ecological issues surrounding the hikers' intrusion into the delicate terrain of the Sierras. Each chapter is complete, and will leave the reader enthralled and excited for the next "trip"--even without leaving the comforts of one's armchair.
Whether one follows the maps on where to begin one's personal experience by hiking the trail or just reading to enjoy the trip vicariously, this book will be a wellcomed addition to everyone's bookcase who is interested in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Bon Voyage!

I am seriously addicted to these Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology books. They lead you by milepost on such wonderful tours. You'll want to grab your camera, rock hammer and pocket protector, and hit the road with this one.

There are a lot of excellent maps in this spiral-bound book. The Great Basin offers many surprises to those who leave the Interstate. Enjoy.

I have a confession to make. When I live in a place that has ice and snow on the ground for twenty-something days; the temperature hovers around the cold mark (anything below 50 degrees Fahrenheit;)and my home heating bills are larger than my mortage payment, I frequently contract cabin fever. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, looking at maps, howling at the moon (when available), chasing parked cars, and reading travel books. I know, I know, it's only the beginning of winter and readers are typically not standing in line to get tickets for their summer vacations. However, to my surprise I find that a number of libraries have very popular travel programs that start in January. Could it be that others are afflicted with this seemingly incurable malaise? Thus, you can imagine my delight in finding a copy of this wonderful travel book. My wife and I traveled U.S. Highway 50, christened "The Loneliest Road in America" by Time magazine, across Nevada a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, while we had a number of obligatory travel books of this region, this one was not available. I can't believe how much we missed! Since it was published by the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, it is a specialized travel book. But don't let that fool you. While it is chock full of information on the geology, flora, and fauna of the region it is so much more. In addition to being highly readable it has 70 color photos, 170 black & white photos and an abundance of illustrations, maps, and sketches. The book takes the traveler along this historic Lincoln Highway from Carson City to Baker and introduces you to a unique Nevada adventure complete with national forests, deserts, and a National Park, Great Basin, that many travelers don't even know exists. About the only thing you will miss is the diesel fume spewing monsters pulling full grown homes and bumper-to-bumper traffic at every milepost. During our visit to Great Basin National Park we encountered perhaps a dozen cars. The book has a helpful road log keyed to highway markers. The trip will take you from ghost towns to Pony Express stations and so many side trips into areas of pristine beauty that you will be hard pressed to believe you are in Nevada, which is, after all just a lot of desert, right? You might even visit a lake that produces some of the best trout fishing in the State and stop for a picnic lunch under aspens that will take your breath away. How about stopping in Fallon and visiting the Naval Air Station and Strike and Air Warfare Center, the Navy's Top Gun training center. Riding the "Ghost Train" from Ely is a trip you won't forget. We discovered the works of Nevada poet Kirk Robertson in a small bookshop in Eureka, which has a beaufifully restored historic courthouse. Kind of a special two for one deal. If you are looking for the fastest way to traverse Nevada complete with four lanes of pavement, interchanges, and fast food stops, Highway 50 is not for you. On the other hand, if you have just a touch of adventure in your soul and don't mind beautiful scenery, historic ambiance, and lots of space, this is worth your time. I would not make this the only travel guide to take on such a trip but I would not leave home without it. Take heart fellow sufferers, spring and summer is coming and this book will remind you why the wait is worth it.

"Close enough for government work" is a slam with a core message that is demolished by Tingley and Pizarro's book. The inside cover makes it clear that this book, published by the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, is keyed to the designation by the Nevada Legislature of US 50 as the official "Loneliest Road." Thus forwarned to what by conventional wisdom ought to be a badly-organized piece of legislation-inspired junk, I was blown out of the water (OK, sand) by the photos (plenty of color but also outstanding B&W), organization, and clear and enthusiastic writing. The emphasis is on geology over social history, but the interaction between the two is always made clear. And it's not just history--wise comments re the possible sound of Sand Mountain versus the reality of OHV roaring alert readers to what is worth stopping for. Anyone traveling through Nevada on US 50 as opposed to I-80 or I-15 must be a tourist. This book gets granular for you.

This is the first book I ever bought about Native Americans. It was really great. Funny, sad, shows great love. More, more!

Louis is angry and irreverent, but yet not offensive. It'a a very quick, enjoyable read. The short stories in this work touch on every issue you can imagine, mixing humans and anthropomorphic creatures against a graphic backdrop of contemporary reservation life. If you like Sherman ALexie, you'll love Louis!

This collection of 23 short stories is set almost entirely on the Pine Ridge Reservation in southwest South Dakota and the border towns in the Nebraska panhandle. It is the harsh land of the high plains where the seasons are extreme and the lives of Indians balance conditions of poverty and racism against the love of family and home - plus a heavy dose of dark humor.

Humor in some of these stories borrows from Native American oral tradition, with shape-shifting characters who are both animal and human - Coyote, Raven, and Bear. Other stories lean more toward social realism, following lives plagued at every turn by misfortune, alcoholism, ill health, domestic violence and ignorance. Though truly horrible things sometimes happen, each story stops somewhere short of bleakness and despair. Demon alcohol, for all the damage it does, and libido-driven adventures still bring periods of relief. And there is affection and caring that present themselves like Old Bear in the last story to speak sweet reason to despair.

I recommend this book to readers interested in the modern-day lives of Indians on America's reservations. Adrian Louis, in both his poetry and fiction, offers a bracing corrective to all the sentimental and racist stereotypes held by others. His is a grimly unblinking vision of hard lives that still preserves their humanity.

Not since "Easy Rider" and the Hell's Angels have motorcycles (and biker gangs) inspired such a freedom-loving odyssey through the seamier side of mainstream America. The story itself is an eclectic mix of violence, hip tragedy, and storybook romance, where love plays out against a backdrop of crime, drugs, and wild adventure. Candidly written with stark depictions, such as a hauntingly intense gang-rape scene of the girl's mother, and cross-cultural elements that I found very neat and honest, the Wolfpack sets itself above any open road drama I've seen.

Not since "Easy Rider" and the Hell's Angels have motorcycles (and biker gangs) inspired such a freedom-loving odyssey through the seamier side of mainstream America. The story itself is an eclectic mix of violence, hip tragedy, and storybook romance, where love plays out against a backdrop of crime, drugs, and wild adventure. Candidly written with stark depictions, such as a hauntingly intense gang-rape scene of the girl's mother, and cross-cultural elements that I found very neat and honest, the Worfpack sets itself avboe andy open road drama I've ever come across.

I thought this book was pretty amazing- a story of freedom, love and motorcycles seething with criminality and the pleasures of the flesh. It's a love/adventure story, but with elements of the Wild West, Mom, and the Mob.

The Access series are very good and the Las Vegas book is a favorite of mine. When ever I go for business or pleasure, I take the current Access along. I have found that with the multitude of changes the earlier editions help to remind me of Casinos and attractions that are no more. As Vegas continues to develope at an extraordinary pace, I find I look forward to the new release more and more.

Access Las Vegas brings a colorful guide to the subject of the city of light, Las Vegas. With reviews of Hotels and Casinos with resturant ratings as well as a nod to the arts and sciences (Museums), this is one book I will not leave behind when visiting Nevada's most famous city.

Ther are maps that section the city into easy to cover areas and color coding to help distinguish the variety of critiqued locations. Backround and history with many best fo lists by the knowledgable and famous citizens give excellent insights to getting around and geating the most from your visit. Concise examination of the many casino games help the novice may their way through a bewildering array of choices.

All in all perhaps the best book for the money of it's kind. The access line of books are all quite good.

If you've never been to the sites listed in Adventure Kayaking, Jenner gives the info a kayaker wants to know to make an informed selection: Clear accurate directions to the put-in sites . Comments on winds, tides. Suggested paddle routes. Maps. Notes on the presence or absence of power-boats and picnickers. Where to camp. What a joy to read a guide book, go to a place and experience no major surprises!

Jeneid's writes beautifully of natural features and wildlife encountered. Clearly he has a love for birding. If you are a kayaker and a birder, then I highly recommend this book before you plan your next outing.

I checked this book out at the local library and thought it was so valuable that I bought my own copy. My only complaint is that I wish the book could of been bigger so more trips could be included. I had already done some of the trips in the book and I found the book to give not only a fair representation of the area, but I learned a few new things.

Nevada is a fantastic adventure travel and people photographer who has a keen insight into how to make great images. This is the best travel photography book on the market! Period! Lots of information and advice on how to pack, what to pack, how to deal with the locals and gain their confidence, etc. The only caution I would give is that Nevada's film advice (specific type/brand name, etc) may be a little out of date because new films are introduced each year. However, her general film advice is great. Sit back, have a glass of wine, open Nevada's book (and your mind!), and get ready for some adventure from a great lady.

Nevada Weir takes the reader to remote villages and other remote locations frequently using indigenous modes of travel. Her exploration and photography pick up where the buses and tour groups left off. Good ideas of both technical and thought process of finding and coming back with the images. I've just about worn mine out having read and studied it over and over.

Professor of Historic Preservation and Anthropology Donald Hardesty presents The Archaeology Of The Donner Party, an extensively researched history of an ill-fated expedition to California in the winter of 1846-1847. Trapped by snow in the uppermost reaches of the Sierra Nevada, half of the Donner Party perished from starvation; the remaining half had to cannibalize their dead to survive. The tragedy became fuel for legends, folklore, and stories about westward expansion; but what truly happened? The Archaeology Of The Donner Party turns to the science of archaeology to unravel long-standing mysteries. Contributions by Michael Brodhead, Donald Grayson, Susan Lindstrom, and George Miller aid the author in gathering as much raw data as possible, some of which is offered in the form of charts for the reader's perusal; the result is an astute cross-examination of the telltale footprints of history. A handful of black-and-white The Archaeology Of The Donner Party is welcome not only for its meticulous reconstruction of a devastating tragedy, but also as an example of how archaeology can aid in the study of relatively recent history as surely as the history of civilizations from thousands of years ago.

Read this book after reading "Frozen in Time" (about the Franklin expedition lost in the arctic) and "Alive" (about a 1972 plane crash in the Andes), both terrible and true tales of people forced to fight death and starvation.

This book is as stunning as the other two!

The book is well researched. Dramatic. Brings to light details and hypothesis of how these people coped in the face of death.

It is interesting seeing this team piece together the Donner party's activities.

Fantastic read if your into human adventure & spirit!

And, as one of the photographers who did "Watchable Birds of the Great Basin" (also available through Amazon), I should know. Much of my knowledge about the distribution and physiology of Great Basin birds, and of the history of ornithological discovery in the region, comes from this book.

I was a fan years before I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Dewey, high atop the Goshute range on the Utah/Nevada border while volunteering for a raptor banding/migratory count project. In fact, she was largely responsible for encouraging me to pursue publishing my own writing and photography.

So - full circle. This book has given me much over the years, my ace-in-the-hole when answering questions from Elderhostel participants in birding classes taught in the SE Oregon portion of the Basin, and at other times in the field.

So it gives me pleasure to give something back, by recommending this book to those who are interested in the bird life of this region.

And the rest of this series is good, too...

Part of an outstanding natural history of the Great Basin series published by UNR. All are very good guides for the interested observer, but Ryser's book is the best in the series. It is written with an emphasis on behavior and adaptations to the stresses of living in the arid Basin. Too heavy for the field, and the detailed text does not lend itself to quick searches.