University of Nevada Books

"Folding Paper Cranes" is almost guaranteed to arouse anger and depression in the reader. However, it is also a book of hope and inspiration. Leonard Bird's book moved me to tears at times, a deeply affecting read.

It is maddening that our Federal government chose to put men such as Bird at such great risk, using them as laboratory rats. The hope that resides in this engaging little book is how the Japanese people rose out of the nuclear ash and their dedication to peace.

When you read of Bird's encounter with Mr. Tanaka and little Meiko and her family make sure the tissue box is nearby. Leonard Bird knows redemption. He has met it face-to-face, redemption with flesh on it.

This is a very poetically written book about the author's experiences with United States atomic bomb testing and his coming to peace with the dropping of the bomb on Japan.

This incredible book feels like an intimate recollection between you and the author. The descriptive prose will shake you to your foundation as Mr. Bird describes with amazing clarity his encounters with nuclear horror. Although small in stature (its only 150 pages) it walks tall and you will emerge from the experience changed.

I have had the pleasure of traveling and spending time with Red and amazingly I knew nothing of this book. When it was given to me a sat and read it instantly. The tears flowed down my cheeks as I read it cover to cover.

I hope it will inspire you to think about our nuclear legacy, act to eliminate nuclear warheads from planet earth, and fold some paper cranes for good luck.

This memoir chronicles the author's experience as a test subject for one of the hundreds of US Government nuclear bomb trials which took place in the desert of Nevada, and the aftermath of its effects on the author both physically and psychologically. As a young soldier, Bird was ordered to crouch in a trench with his squad a mere 4,000 yards from the detonation of the largest nuclear bomb explosion in North America, wearing only a WWII gas mask for protection. The memoir is framed by the author's three trips to Hiroshima which ultimately aid in his attempt to come to terms with both the terror and hope he shares with the victims and survivors of nuclear war in Hiroshima. His account brings to life the horror of Hiroshima that is only understood abstractly by many Americans. Additionally, it is very informative about the hundreds of nuclear explosions the government sponsors in our own country for the purpose of experimentation and the devastating effects of radiation disease caused by radioactive fallout. Folding Paper Cranes: An Atomic Memoir, is frank, sensitive, and searingly honest. It is sprinkled with poetry and though poignant with despair, ultimately brings a message of peace and hope.

The Great Basin is generally regarded as "flyover country", meaning you either fly over it or drive through it on your way to somewhere else. The big cities are all on the edge; Salt Lake City, Reno, Las Vegas. And it isn't "scenic" for the most part, having only one national park. Say the two words, and most Americans think of a dreary, dry, empty expanse of overgrazed sagebrush. Well, most Americans are wrong.

The Great Basin, explored on its terms, is a fascinating expanse of unique geology, as Bill Fiero, a professor of geology at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, shows you in this fine book. Written in easily read style, and understandable to anyone who has gone to high school, the book takes you on a general tour of the wonders of Great Basin, including well-known Bonneville Salt Flats, a remnant of an Ice Age lake bigger than Lake Michigan. You will also read about recent volcanoes, earthquake activity and faults, deep trenches such as Death Valley, ancient, dried up rivers, and fossil sand dunes. Canyons, badlands, and mountains are also part of this region, and author Fiero takes you through these areas as well, all the while explaining how and why all of these features came to exist as they do.

The book not only has excellent color and black and white photographs, following side-by-side with the narratives, but gives the reader an excellent background on physical geology in general, Indeed, it could easily be used as an introductory college text. Remember that one advantage to the Great Basin is its aridity, which enables you to see and understand the rocks and what they tell much better.

I bought the original edition two decades ago, and the recent revision is even better. Anyone planning a trip to the Southwest, in particular, Nevada, would be well advised to obtain this book. As with most folks, I like to gamble and see the shows when I go, but this book will show you many more fascinating things to see and do. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the geology, or the Southwest as a whole.

An amazing description of one of the most geologically diverse and unique areas in the world that lies almost in the shadow of Las Vegas. Easy to understand if you don't have a lot of science background and easy to see if you travel the Great Basin area. A great introduction to geology in general and the geological features of Nevada in particular.

While perhaps not for the hedonistic traveler intent on enjoying the nightlife in Las Vegas or Reno, this book is an excellent primer for those interested in understanding the origin of the geologic structures observable in the Great Basin.
I checked it out of the Library and have since determined to purchase it as it explains much what I observe around me (as a resident of the area in question) on a daily basis.

The National Park Service maintains an excellent website devoted to exploring geology in the national parks. It developed the site primarily for teachers, listing a host of educational resources devoted to national parks from Maine to Hawaii. The materials are specifically designed for teaching geology, but they could be easily incorporated into a general science class. Best of all, they provide an reliable source of information for the general reader as a starting point.

As one example, John McPhee got me interested in the Great Basin with Basin and Range, a wonderful book about the history and geology of the region. (Another excellent book on the region I enjoyed is The Sagebrush Ocean, Tenth Anniversary Edition: A Natural History Of The Great Basin (Max C. Fleischmann Series in Great Basin Natural History.) by Stephen Trimble.) I've traveled in the area a bit, and always enjoy reading more about the Basin. As a general reader, I thought that NPS's review of this book was a perfect description:

"This book is filled with black and white and color photos as well as sketches that explain the geology of the Great Basin. A terrific jargon-free guide for anyone who wants to know about the physical characteristics of the region. This best-selling book has introduced casual readers to the geologic wonders of the Great Basin for over ten years. From the sun-scorched sands of Death Valley to the briny waters of the Great Salt Lake, Fiero takes readers on an earthly tour that encompasses nearly 250,000 square miles--in six states. Magnificent color photos and informative diagrams are combined to make it easy for the nonscientist to understand this still relatively secret part of the North American Continent."

If you have any interest in the national parks, stop by the National Park's wonderful website nps.gov . If you have any interest in the Great Basin, follow NPS's suggestion and pick up this excellent book.

Robert C. Ross 2008

I read this book while on a cruise with my husband in the Mediterranean. It was absolutely delightful and a must read for children and anyone with children.

This book touches everything all at once. A wonderfull story of a teenager dealing with his emotions and his relationship with a grandfather he feels out of touch with. At the same time bringing in a lesson in the Basque culture and how it affected America. This is a great book for adults and teenagers. I hope Mr. Etchart will continue to bring this knowledge to the readers in such wonderful stories for many more years.

The Good Oak is an excellent "coming of age" book about a 13 year old boy and his Basque sheepherder grandfather. This book will interest any one who enjoys reading about family and the interactions and struggles that make each of our daily lives unique. This book is especially poignant in detailing the Basque shepherd life and general traditions of the American-Basque culture especially about the struggle to assimilate and reconcile the differences among the two cultures. I know this from first hand experience of having grown up with a Basque shepherd grandfather. A truly pleasurable reading that brought back many wonderful memories. Thank you to the author for sharing our unique cultural background with the general public.

I didn't know anything about the Basque (or Basque American) culture when I read this book, but now I want to know more. But it isn't just this fascinating glimpse in an unexplored culture that got me. It's the story of a sullen teenager and his absolutely unforgettable grandfather undertaking a grand adventure -- a quirky generational buddy/roadtrip story that frankly Hollywood should option and make a movie of. I loved this book, teenagers will love this book, fathers and grandfathers will love this book, you will love this book. I have a feeling THE GOOD OAK is going to be one of those novels that you take down from your bookshelves every few years and enjoy the adventure all over again.

I finished reading David Fine's excellent book Imagining Los Angeles: A City In Fiction at just before 2 am this morning. I was reading in bed in my 1923 bungalow in Whittier, California. It was a quiet night. No winds blowing; even the neighborhood dogs were asleep. It was too humid and Fine's wonderful analysis of Los Angeles fiction had my mind going a mile a minute. I thought about going for a drive; maybe listen to a little late-night radio, but I knew my wife would worry if she woke up and found me gone. I finally got to sleep, knowing I'd have to type up this report as soon as I got out of bed this morning.

Fine's book is not encyclopedic; if you are looking for a complete listing of SoCal fiction, you'll need to look elsewhere. Imagining Los Angeles is an overview - an introduction, a history with examples - of fiction set in the Los Angeles metro area. The first chapter gives you a little background on the area. Then Fine takes the reader on a literary journey from booster fiction, through fiction in the 20's, hard-boiled fiction, tough-guy detectives, the Hollywood novel and finishes with more ethnically oriented fiction and Los Angeles as a setting for disaster. The book is serious - probably not a summer beach read - but it also kept me in rapt attention and didn't read like the textbook Professor Fine could have turned it into. In my opinion, this book should appeal to a wide audience - from the serious literary student to the pop culture buff looking for a little backstory.

A lady just walked into my office (actually, my three legged female mutt just hopped into the 1980 guesthouse behind the bungalow) looking for my attention, so I better end this report now.

Sincerely Submitted, agnostictrickster 13 August 2001

"Fine's research is extensive and thorough, his observations shrewd and penetrating, and his command of the political, social, and cultural matrix profound. A major contribution."--D. W. Madden, California State University, Sacramento--CHOICE, January 2001

This is a terrific book, that rare academic work that is both entertaining and instructive. Having grown up in L.A., but no longer living there now, I truly enjoyed revisiting the city of my childhood and young adulthood via all the stories and authors Fine discusses. Fine's writing style is clear and blessedly free of academic jargon. His treatment of a wide variety of books and ideas is nothing short of a tour-de-force. "Imagining Los Angeles" does exactly what good literary scholarship should do: shine fresh light on books and their authors and make readers eager to discover the books for themselves! (I've just placed a mega-order for several of the titles Fine discusses... )

"A short course in the essential literature of Los Angeles. . . . so full of punch and energy, so mercifully free of the impenetrable jargon that afflicts much scholarly and critical writing. Best of all, Fine sent me back to my old favorites with a fresh perspective, and he added a dozen titles to my own reading list."-Jonathan Kirsch, The Los Angeles Times

Why does Mr. Benson pretend to be anything more just another person making conjecture about the "ghost", Bruce the Boss, has an album of words and music devoted to Tom Joad's ghost. Does Bruce need a Ph.D. to make up songs about Steinbeck's masterwork. Come on, I could just as well say I'm conducting investigative journalism on Huck Finn.

....especially during the first part of this book, and there seemed to be one misadventure after another, especially with his interviews, and I got tired of those too....and then it dawned on me (and I'm not at all certain the author would agree) that he was not only researching Steinbeck's life, but stumbling into parts of it.

Take his interview with Gwyn, Steinbeck's second wife. For me, what clearly emerged during the author's confrontation with her storytelling ability, her extraverted extravagance, and her occasional bullying, was that Benson was being made to feel exactly how Steinbeck would have felt, especially toward the end of the marriage. And the same with getting lost at times in New York, and feeling "out of touch" here and there, and worrying about bad reviews: I think the biographer actually became the subject of his biography a little, sharing from his own rather humble and introverted point of view what Steinbeck couldn't or wouldn't bring himself to write publicly about regarding his own private struggles, doubts, confusions. What a gift, all the way around.

For any reader remotely interested in the trials and tribulations so frequently associated with writing a book, in this case a biography, this book is a must.
Jackson Benson spent fifteen years writing the definitive biography of John Steinbeck that originally began as a scholarly critique of his works. He was a young professor of American literature at a provincial university in 1970 and felt it part of his job to write about American authors: "I had no idea of writing a biography or of spending a major portion of my life doing so. No one in his right mind sets out to spend fifteen years researching and writing a book-it just sneaks up on you." With this confession the reader is drawn into a wonderful account of his efforts to "save" Steinbeck from what he saw as unjust criticism and general academic denigration.
The book is unusual for a variety of reasons. First, it is highly readable which is rare given the authors scholarly and academic credentials. Benson has a marvelous sense of humor and doesn't hesitate to spell out his own shortcomings and lapses that many times resulted in dire consequences of his own making. His original naivete and ill defined writing plan led to a variety of incidents that are described in a humorous and candid manner.
Second, the author doesn't hesitate to candidly reveal the myriad fears, frustrations, doubts and ever-present economic problems that dogged him throughout the writing process. In reading of his countless setbacks I am amazed he completed the book. His dedication, perseverance, resourcefulness and integrity are both amazing and heartening.
Third, this is a rare instance in which a biographer writes about himself. It is actually an autobiography of the biographer and is done with such grace and candor and style that it is as artful as the biography. This book stands alone as a masteful literary accomplishment notwithstanding its sister biography.

The book is a must have for writers, wannabe writers, researchers, or readers interested in biography, authbiography or the art and craft of writing. It is a unique insight into the writing of the definitive biography of a world literary figure whose centennial birthday is being celebrated throughout this year. The Joads would have been proud.

This is a wonderful book, by a biographer of great heart and soul. Benson spent 15 years researching the life of one of America's most loved authors, and produced a monumental book about a man, a time, and his work. The biography, ``The True Adventures of John Steinbeck, Writer,'' is magnificent. ``Searching for Steinbeck's Ghost,'' also is full of delights -- an X-ray of how a biographer works, tracking down clues, weighing evidence, sorting through conflicting claims, and negotiating with guardians of the subject's legacy. Steinbeck may seem a bewildering figure in an era of endless confessions, because he was a reticent, private person devoted to his craft. He is also an unfashionable figure among many academics. Yet his work is enduring; so, too, is the biography and this How I Dunnit. Benson shunned academic trends, genuinely appreciated the works of his subject, and focused on the life that made those works. This odd little book about that pursuit is well worth finding and reading.

This is a book from GOD. Stephan B. CastorBoBastor, the master of disaster, has truly written a gem here. WE cannot compare to his geological PROWESS. all must bow before the bearded, exquisitely handsome face of stephen. WE must put his picture up across the country on walls, grinning at all the people as if to say "Hello world! I like rocks!how about you!?" Stephen is God. we shall go into the places of worship and place idols of Stephen upon them. we will carve his face onto Mount Rushmore. ALL HAIL STEPHEN!!!!!! He has led us through the dark ages, and heles us get through the cancelation of the show "Growing Pains" He will give those with him the power to breath fire and grow a really hot red beard. BOW TO THE MASTER OF ALL EROSION, OF THE MOUNTAINS, OF YOUR LIFE, AND BOW TO THE MAN WHO'S PET IGUANA SPIFFY WILL DETERMINE WEATHER YOU GO TO GEOLOGICAL PARIDISE IN THE AFTER LIFE, OR BURN FOREVER IN THE FIRE OF ASTROLOGICAL HELL!!!!(geologists and astrologers are mortal enemies.satan is in the face of every astronomer)

Long live Stephen and his mineral fact-filled mind. Stephen B. Castor weaves a passionate and hypnotizing tale using his cunning and ingenuity in this exciting epic. I especially liked the part where he said "rock rock rock, rockrockrock!" These proverbial words really reached deep inside of me and changed my emotional state. Before, one might have compared my status to that of a hopeless stray kitten stumbling about the streets of brooklyn, drenched in rain and tears of sorrow. Now, I find myself overwhelmed by a sensation of bliss, or possibly even sublimity. I am a new and better person because of Stephen B. Castor. Thank you Stephen for all you have done. We salute you!

I must say that this book is difinitive in it's completeness and revelence in Nevada. The authors have done a marvelous and thorough job of data collection and presentation. Nevada's mining scene has changed dramatically from the early 70's when I was an undergraduate in Geology at the University of Nevada, Reno. This book ties that scene with today's mining activities, and is complete and extremely useful for those foraging in Nevada for mineral and mining history and for collectors as well.

Patrick M. Walker
MS Geology - UNR

This book is a gift from God. It touched my heart to the very core. Stephen B. Castor Bo Bastor, Master of Disaster, has really given us a gem here. I say that the handsomely stubbled face of Mr. Castor should be placed upon the gleaming slopes of Mount Rushmore so his visage can beam out to the mountains around with an expression that just says "Hello World! I love rocks! what about you?" His romantically red beard should be placed on posters everywhere, so all may wonder at the vastness of it. I want to be Stephen B. Castor. I want all sceintific reasearch from now on to be devoted to a machine which can make me into stephen B. Castor. I am going to get plastic surgery to make me look like him. He is God. We should have his face placed on each and every religious figure in THE WORLD! think you have been touched by God? well, it was Stephan B. Castor, IN DISGUISE. yes, in order to preserve his secret identity, Stephen B. Castor must disguise himself. but we know your secret now, Mr. Castor! ALL HAIL STEPHEN!!!!!

An artist and a bookstore owner, the narrator's parents in My Mother's Lovers are known in their small town as "those hippies in the purple house." Mimi, the central figure in her daughter Lake's life, is the mother many of us would love to have yet would resent bitterly until we came to understand her. Looking back through a child's observant yet uncomprehending eyes, Lake describes how she was charmed and mystified by Mimi as a young child, then grew to resent her mother's hunger for passion and authenticity, which she experienced as betrayal. Complex and intriguing characters move in and out of Lake's life, such as GraceAnne, a native American hair dresser whose silence invites her customers to confide the bizarre stories of their lives, or Aunt Dee Dee, a would-be Princess who swoops into town bearing clothes, Barbies, and the family's first telephone. Many of these characters, including Mimi herself, have secrets that were not open for young Lake to read, so the adult Lake periodically builds on her childhood memories to imagine for herself their thoughts, experiences, and emotions. Those passages are the most evocative and beautiful in the book. In particular, if you haven't already been captivated by Passanante's poetic, humorous, and visually gorgeous style by the time you reach the sensuous interlude of Mimi and her scarred logger, you will surrender to Passanante then.

My Mother's Lovers is a short novel that compresses in its humorous, tragic, and gorgeous pages the timeless story of a girl's coming of age, her achievement of a hard won wisdom. Love is also the book's subject; there is not one false moment, no cliche, in Passanante's wise and deeply observed treatment of literature's most common theme.

Passanante's book grabbed me in the first chapter, and I never let go. Her descriptions of a child born to flower-children of the 60's in Idaho resonates in an almost magical way. The trials and tribulations of adolescence for the main character are incredibly vivid, painful and surprising. The book is fast moving, thought provoking and wonderfully written.

It's been over a month since I read it, and I can't get it out of my mind--its authentic characters (from Lake, the furious daughter of two leftover hippies to Aunt DeeDee, her mother's super-conventional, miniature, spike-heel-wearing sister, whom Lake longs to live with in "Frisco," to GranVinny, the gruff, flower-loving grandfather Lake has been separated from--along with a gallery of small-town Idaho loggers and hairdressers), its wit (Aunt DeeDee's personal-ads beaux usually "nicked themselves shaving and still had a bit of Kleenex encrusted on a thin red line on his neck"), and especially its haunting theme, of the complex ways in which emotional legacies are passed through generations. Builds to a satisfying, surprising, funny/appalling climax--a unique chase scene that I'd love to see in a movie!

There are times when you pick up a book that you feel you really connect with the author, that somehow you know her and the people about whom she writes. For me, "My Mother's Lovers" was one of those books.

While this is clearly a book of fiction, the vivid description of the characters, particularly the grandfather, resonated with me.

I always enjoy books about young people coming of age in the 1960s and 1970s, perhaps because even at 49 I'm still coming of age. (Or, so I dream.)

This is also a book about a mix of cultures, Italian and Jewish, and about hippies and what used to be the establishment (which so many of the hippies have since become).

I look forward to Passanante's next book.

This book is a real page turner. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. It was satisfying from beginning to end and I did not want it to end. I highly recommend it.

Delightful rendition of the Pioneer spirit. Easy to read and hard to put down.

The struggles and hardships survived by this family should make us think twice about whining when we've had a bad day at the office, the dog throws up on the carpet, there's a traffic jam on the way home, the cable guy is four hours late, or any of the other happenings we find annoying in our modern lives. (how about that three-day trip to town and back?) As an animal lover, I skimmed over the semi-graphic descriptions of trapping animals. Other than that, an enthralling read.

I was turned on to this book by the authors great nephew. This woman's tale of hardship, perseverance and determination is one to be admired by all. An easy read and a wonderful adventure.

I actually used to work at Harrah's. I saw this book in one of the casino bookstores while heading into work one day. I was enticed to read it because these events took place in my backyard. This area has grown much over the years and it's always changing. From my understanding the book is only published by the Nevada history center(UNR) so it might be hard to find a copy. I understand Bill's passion for this industry, but even if you don't it's still a great book. There are very entertaining anecdotes. There is one in particular about the Jerrari that I found hillarious. I've seen the Jerrari but the description doesn't even begin to explain how it looks in person. I would think that anyone who has heard of Harrah's or has an intrest in Casinos would enjoy this.

This oral history about William Harrah is excellent. I believe the manner in which Kling interviewed all of the people gives you a inside edge to understanding more how the gaming business was run in the early years, and how Harrah help to create a successful industry. This book is definitly worth reading!

This is a fascinating story told in the words of a great collection of people who "were there." Former wives, dealers, PR types, executives, many from the '40s and '50s offer candid insights and memories that illustrate the complexity, and at times the profound sadness, of Bill Harrah's life.

Casino cheating (by owners, employees, and customers!), evolution of gambling machines, promotional stunts, big name entertainment, and the famed auto collection are covered extensively.

My only reservation (a minor one) is that Harrah's subsidized some of the production costs of the book which probably had some editorial impact. For example, embarassing or critical material is typically played down. (No interviews here of disgruntled competitors or former employees) Please do not let this comment keep you from reading "Every Light", it is great!

The reader (at least this one) sympathizes with both sides of a cultural divide in the stories that have a wide range of Latinos in or having been in New Mexico, southern Colorado, Texas, or southern California. There are Guatemaltecos, Salvadoreans, Chileans, Colombians, unacculturated (to Anglo America) Mexican immigrants, and monolingual English-speaking scions of families long in the US.

There is considerable humor, although oftentimes of a quite forlorn form ("Pickup," in particular), hardly any magic realism (just hints in "Archangela's Place"), some Spanish words and expressions that might stump some readers (especially the youthful vato slang in "Eloy"), no graphic sex or violence.

Some of the stories (e.g., "Cosas, Inc." and "Tongue") have what I consider firm endings. Some others, especially "Age of Copper" and "Weeds" have interesting and complex characters I'd have been interested to follow further. That is, some of the stories seem embryonic novels.

A careful reading of Joe Skinner's work would show that much of the sincerity present in his writing comes from the fact that he is racially Anglo and culturally Latino. But that doesn't stop readers from projecting their own hang-ups upon the text in their reviews, does it? A great book from a great writer.

Jose Skinner will become a household name in American Literature -- and NOT because he is of color. This is an honest, but polished work -- unlike so many first books by authors who have been published only due to their minority status. Skinner is a writer, and he proves it through deft manipulation of the reader through his prose and plotting, and his tireless invention of new stories. Like vitamins, I was taking one story from this book a day on my subway commute, and was sorry to see it end. You don't find gems like this every day!