Nevada Books

The only thing I would add to the previous review is that Sierra South does not have that big a selection of overnighters. Of the ones they do have, many are 9-ish miles in length (round trip) and I don't like to drive that far to do a couple hours of hiking. It is still a great book, though. Sierra North has more in the way of overnighters.

I enjoy all of the Winnett books because they are accurate, fun to read and reliable. This book has little chapters on over 100 trips in the Sierra range, and the descriptions of each trek are a total delight. So often these hiking books neglect to tell you how to reach the trailhead and oftentimes they don't provide detailed instructions. Winnett never makes this mistake. You will not need a separate map to locate any of the trailheads, his maps and written instructions are first-rate. Equally interesting is that this book doesn't merely give elevation gains, difficulty ratings and desriptions of the trail conditions. These are vital to know, but Winnett also includes little bits of information of what kinds of wild flowers you will encounter, birds, wildlife and other little nuggets neglected in other guides.

The book is supposed to be only for overnight backpacking trips, but there are many trails here that can be used for day hikes. These trips will be in the 10-16 mile range and any strong hiker can easily do these hikes in one day. If you do choose to go the multi-day backpacking route, Winnett describes water sources, camping sites and addresses whether bears or marmots might be a problem for you. Most importantly, he tells you where to find water and whether the water source is reliable throughout the whole year.

I can't recommend this guide highly enough. Even if you're an armchair hiker, you'll derive many hours of vicarious joy from this guide.

Well researched and extremely well written, it is a wealth of accurate information for planning either partial day hikes or multiday backpacks. The single most reached for resource I use for the lower Sierra's trails. The description of the trail, fauna and flora to be expected enroute and access to trailheads are valuable and allows even the armchair hiker a good virtual experience. A companion guide to be used with this book would be a good topo map similar to perhaps those produced by Tom Harrison Maps.

This book would be a good intro for beginners but there are many books already there. For those with more knowledge of the Sierras the old book had more cross country routes and many of the trips involved some off trail. This new edition is all trail (as far as I know) and that ruined the book a lot. The 7th edition did not have maps like the new one and had they only done it would have been much better. Also, for anyone who is planning a serious backpacking trip into the Sierras you will have to get a topo map anyway so it's better to have the trailheads organized by name rather than by road (or maybe combine both).

All in all, this is nowhere as good as the old 7th edition and I'm glad I had the hardback version of it. I will look for another one unless the 9th editions brings back the many wonderful x-c trips of the 7th edition

Sierra South is another one of those irreplaceable Wilderness Press guides. For anyone hiking in the southern Sierras, this is the must have book. The eighth edition is about 12 years later than my 6th edition, and has taken advantage of the advances in printing technology. There are good maps imbedded in the book, gray shading to highlight text of special interest, and gray section tabs visible on the edge of the book.

The book starts out with good basic information for anyone hiking in the wilderness. For example, one tip that I would have applied last week was to do stream crossings angled upstream, so that the force of the water will not cause your knees to buckle. Since we didn't have this info yet, my wife and I angled downstream, and the force of the water caught her by surprise, causing the bottom of her pack to hit the water.

The organization is now by state access highway, Highway 41, 198, etc. This is useful for quickly determining practical two or three day trips. The book is now 6 by 9 instead of 4.5 by 8, so you will probably resort to cutting out the trip you choose, and carry it with you.The larger size allows more photographs and easier to read text. As in the old book, there are elevation profiles for each trip route. It looks to me as if they have extended the coverage slightly farther north, as my old book didn't have the highway 41 trips. For those GPS enabled hikers you will find gps waypoints for destinations and significant junctions.

When I read through Sierra South, it seems like there are a lot more destinations than in the old book, but the new book has 84 trips, and the old one 100 trips. In any event, the new book can keep you busy for many summers.

My one suggestion for future editions is that the overall map give some indication of where Highway 41 is. I had to check the old Sierra North map.

If you are going to hike the southern Sierra, this is a book you need to have.

Even though TW has "retired" and they've changed the name (made obligatory by the elimination of the even 100 hikes in previous editions) this information packed volume is still the best all around (with the companion Sierra North) hiking guide covering the Sierra Nevada in print today. This edition is organized a little differently and the spiffy fold out map is missing from the back cover but the same reliable and up to date information is available for both arm chair hiking and trip planning.

A great many of the same routes are included as were in the previous volumes and it appears they have been updated with current (and depressing) requlatory requirements and accurate descriptions of the state of repair or disrepair of primitive camp sites and historic markers. Additional trips are included that appear to be more "moderate". Again up to date trail and camp site information along with hazards and fishing data are included.

The only caveat I would add is to take the somewhat nostalgic pining for the "good old days" with a grain of salt. While it's true water quality degradation has made mandatory the use of filters or other types of purification and black bears (and too many friggin' hikers) have forced more and more regulations and quotas on a land that once was wide open for exploration; there's still more "wild" here than in just about any other locale in the country. And that's the same stuff that's drawn legions of backpackers, mountaineers and naturalists ever since John Muir "discovered" it over a hundred years ago. It's still there waiting for you...

A great read! McLaughlin captures his reader immediately and holds on throughout each story. I especially enjoy the way he writes about the strength of the women in the old west. He has an obvious respect for their trials and accomplishments. Refreshing! I lent my copy to a coworker who took it on her family vacation to read aloud during long rides in the car. She said the entire family enjoyed it (husband and 2 kids - aged 10 and 15) and they're looking forward to reading Volume II on their next trip.

A collection of true tales of the people who made the Sierra Mountains of California so interesting in the last 200 years. McLaughlin has chosen his tales well and shows great skill in crafting them so they are fun to read and informative to boot.

We bought both books after hearing Mark McLaughlin lecture at an Elderhostel in Lake Tahoe. They are short, factual stories brimming with historical information presented in extremely interesting manner. They are as fascinating to read as he is in his lectures and we highly recommend them.

My copy of this book is nearly destroyed from all the use it receives. This book is not just for winter. Many of the tours described have also turned out to be excellent mountain bike routes and hiking trips. The descriptions of the areas the routes traverse could be expanded, but the route information itself is first class.

Sufficient detail and a whole lot of information - perhaps too much information, it's a thick book - to plan ski tours, generally for lightweight touring gear, e.g. classic Nordic skis or 3-pin tele's. Alpine riders seeking vertical ft look for George Hurchalla's book.

I had the first (1985) edition and find the second (1995) edition greatly expanded. It went from 78 to 102 tours in 167 to 256 pages. The maps are more detailed--about 2 inches per mile instead of 1 inch. I find more detailed descriptions of side trips than before.

The tours are described with a mileage log instead of a narrative format. I find it easier to find where I am in this format.

The only thing I would add is an index, but due to its detailedness, I still rate the book excellent and worth buying, even if you have the old edition.

What a remarkable collection. Its really a meditation on existence. This is a museum of life in all its sadness and beauty.

My favorite type of prose are written by poets. Reading Kate Braverman is like filling on a rich desert. I am reminded of Jeanette Winterson and Arhundati Roy. It is hard to find such deeply poetic prose today. This is not a grocery store paperback--it requires slow reading and it is worth every minute. It is a feast of words and images and ideas.

Kate Braverman's ingenious writing shouts and sings a high skill at poesy and narrative. I think many of her readers are attracted primarily to her imagery and metaphors. There is a sameness at the center of her stories -- illness, death, putrefaction, decline. These brilliant stories follow the trend, and Braverman leans toward epic prose poems. Her characters are memorable in one way, similar in another. What I admore most about her is her intensely evocative setting in LA, proving once more that place can pass for story. If you love clean, spare writing with a strong narrative element and distinctive characters developing new and original themes, these stories are not for you. But if you want gorgeous poems set to prose, gobble it up.

A very through, informative foray into the world of political activism from a single mother's point of view. The stories of courage in this book can often get poignant. Reading "Growing up in Mississippi" by Anne Moody alongside this most definitely contributed to it.

Storming Caesar's Palace follows a group of mothers on welfare as they fought to create one of the most successful community organizations in the history of the War on Poverty, delivering everything from health care to hot lunches to library services to thousands of children and adults in Las Vegas. Orleck focuses on years of research and interviews to tell the story through the women's own words, from their childhoods in Louisiana, through the black migration West, into the War on Poverty, the 70s and the Carter administration, and then through the Reagan cutback years. This is a great book for anyone interested in African-American history, women's history, or history of politics, welfare and poverty in the last 40 years, and it's also inspiring and accessible to college and even high school readers. The only flaw is in the editing; several interviews appear more than once, a bit disconcerting in a story that's purportedly chronologically organized, and the same goes for turns of phrase and whole sentences. Small drawbacks in an otherwise impressive work.

Ms. Orleck has written quite a book: it is important as history and social commentary, it is instructive for organizers and activists and it is a heart warming story of the beloved Ruby Duncan and her associates who faced adversity, poverty and discrimination with intelligence, resourcefulness and courage. They fought an uphill bsttle for human rights and economic justice in Las Vegas, and they had some very significant victories. Lastly, it is inspiring, it spiritually recharges the reader to take on today's injustices. Though the author is a scholar of some distinction, the book is very readable and is told in the participants own words so it is very immediate and straightforward. It is wonderfully suitable for high school and college aged discussion groups in school or faith based organiztions. You'll never forget Ruby Duncan. Highly recommended for entertainment, instruction, inspiration or all three!

The fourth edition of this book is a vast improvement on the initial release (3 editions ago). If you are looking for a complete trail guide to the Tahoe Basin, this is the one you want.

This book was one of the first that my wife and I bought upon coming to California in 1980. It has since fallen into at least ten pieces from overuse. This new version is also excellent.

There is a level of detail throughout that we appreciate, providing an interesting, experienced viewpoint and guide. We also like the way the different regions are highlighted. Sometimes we just head off to one of the regions and find a trail that looks interesting.

Enjoy!

Wilderness Press hit a high mark with their Sierra North and Sierra South books. This comprehenisve guide to the Lake Tahoe Sierra is to be commended for being very comprehensive, containing 112 hikes that touch on all corners of the Tahoe area. The descriptions sparkle much more than than the typical dry text in these sort of guides as well.

Unfortunately the book could stand to improve its layout and maps, especially the all-important master map pages that clue you in to where hikes are located. Also, the individual trail maps are often nowhere near the text for the trip. Hopefully a future edition will improve upon the book's layout.

I had a short time to spend in the backcountry and needed some succinct guidance for choosing the best trail for my time and experience levels. The 100 Hikes guide filled the bill - got me from Reno to the Sand Ridge Trail. The trail guide and map was way ahead of the material I picked up at the Forest Service Ranger station and I had a great two nights on trails that were just right for the equipment I had with me. Well written, guide from guys who've obviously been there on the ground. I'd even buy the book someday if the library copy is checked out next time I'm heading for northern California. Dick Williams 10-30-97

Details the flora and landscape of the hike; degree of difficulty of hike in a straight forward, useful manner. I have used the book for several day hikes in the Lake Tahoe and Bay Area and the book has helped make the hikes enjoyable and fun. Heed the degree of difficulty listing, they are accurate.

BUY IT and ENJOY!!!!!!!!

this is a cycle of interrelated poems following the life and times of an amiable stoner named naatsi from his days on haight street in san francisco (circa mid-to-late 1960's) on up to south dakota and the clinton years. really these are miniature short stories, poetic vignettes that add up to a deep and satisfying portrait of an individual. nothing pretentious here at all (thank God). poetry that is enjoyable and moving, and actually about something. i highly recommend it.

An exceptional trip down the stoned, yellow-brick road of memory. I was in San Francisco in the late 1960's and these poems brought it all back--yeah, it was a real flashback. The sadness and beauty of it all. If you were there, get this book. Peace.

I just finished reading Beyond the Glimmering Lights: The Pride And Perseverance of African americans in Las Vegas.

Using memories of her Aunt Magnolia for structure, Ms. Geran paints a vivid picture of what it was like to be African American in Las Vegas between the periods of 1940s and the 1960s.

As a fairly recent newbie to Las Vegas, this book provided a very interesting and insightful look at the history of African Americans in the area and the role they played in the shaping of an intergrated Las Vegas.

It is a very easy read and I highly recommend it :)

I eagerly await the next book by Trish Geran.

Beyond the Glimmering Lights is a very unique book that takes a look into the segregated past of Las Vegas. Author Trish Geran shows through the experiences of her Aunt Magnolia that there is more to Las Vegas than the bright lights. A wonderful read that show the perseverance of the African American community. Through the brilliant efforts of celebrities such as Sammy Davis Jr., Josephine Baker and the general community they were able to tear down the racial boundaries and helped shape America's playground.