Mexico Books

If you like white water rafting, this is a wonderful book about the birth of white water fun.

Anyone remotely interested in white water rafting will thoroughly love this book. Buz Holstrom was a true Maverick in the sport. The authors bring him to life through their wonderful narrative and easy writing style. He is truly an individual that was remarkably talented in his boat building and navigational skills. This book left me wanting more of Buzz Holstrom and wishing he were still around to tell us more about his short remarkable life.

The legendary Buzz Holmstrom was a more complex figure than I knew. His journal entries express the feeling of all who really love rivers and the famous entry that includes "the doing of the thing" should be read on every river trip.
This is the second Brad Dimock book I've read (the other on Bert Loper) and I am impressed with not only his skill as a writer, but his careful research. His handling of the tragic end to Buzz Holmstrom's life was that of a journalist with a sense of humanity.
I've already loaned this book to friends.

Even today, with rescue not so far away, few of us would have the nerve to go down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon alone, so imagine the nerve it took when Buzz was totally alone, with no chance of help if he made a mistake. But the most amazing thing about Buzz was that in the midst of an adventure that would leave most people totally preoccupied with survival, Buzz had the soul power to look for and see the poetry in the river and the canyon. Merely knowing how to survive can be much easier than knowing how to live.

I remember years ago when I was a kid a story my father told me about an amazing river rafter and boat builder. My Dad grew up in Coquille and went to school with Buzz's younger brother. His story always ended with how Buzz had been on a rafting trip in eastern Oregon and went off and committed suicide. I could never understand how someone who had done the amazing things he did could end his life on that note. I thought about that story many times over the years and always wished I knew more. This book is incredibly well researched and documented. Even though many questions were answered, many more were raised. Such was the enigma that was Buzz Holmstrom.

I have owned this cookbook for over 10 years and it is my favorite and most used. Well written and easy to follow, the Texas Border Cookbook demonstrates many of the classic Texas recipes including salsas, guacamole, chili (5 different variations), enchiladas and chicken fried steak. If you enjoy southwestern food this cookbook should be in your collection.

There are a lot of cookbooks out there purporting to be "Tex-Mex". Most of them are charlatans. This is the Real Deal. When I was a kid, my mom even made "Texas Trash" for when company was coming over. She would always tell me, "Just don't tell them what it's called". Of course, the company loved it, as did I. She also made just about everything else in this book. This is what I grew up on. About the only thing she wouldn't make were Tamales, they are a "PITA" to make without help, a point mentioned in this book, she would buy them pre-made. If you like or want to learn Tex-Mex, "This is the one !". Authentic Tex-Mex !

This is an outstanding cookbood and easy to use. Every recipe I've made has turned out great and wow's my family and friends. I put it in my top three most frequently used cookbooks.

This is a great cookbook that is more New Mexican/ Border in flavor than Tex-Mex. The red enchiladas are so good. I usually make them twice a month for my family. I have made almost every recipe in this book and every one has been a winner.

One of my most used cookbooks - since I am in "the land of bland" I have to rely on this more than ever. Of special note is the grits recipe - a real winner for any brunch.

I needed this for Christmas around the world at my school. The book is excellent and the children really enjoyed the story.

Another great addition to my collection. Tomie's illustrations complete this wonderful book.

Such an endearing story! This book contains beautiful illustrations. It is a Christmastime favorite.

If you are looking for the true story of the legend of the poinsettia, this is not it!!! The only thing that is the same about the legend from Mexico and this story is the fact that the poinsettias were made red on christmas eve because a little girl brought baby jesus a weed for his birthday because she was so poor. the names, plot, and special saying that the little girl's brother said in the legend is not in this book, which takes away the impact of the story. the drawings although are beautiful and the story is nice if you don't know the real legend.

I love legends. I always have. I am particularly fond of legends that attempt to explain things such as why the robin has a red breast, or why it snows on Christmas, or why the donkey says "hee haw," and other things like that. That is one of the reasons I was drawn to this little book by Tomie dePaola, The Legend of the Poinsettia.

Lucinda is a young girl who lives with her parents and younger siblings in Mexico. The colorful illustrations have that southeastern feel to it. Lucinda's community is preparing for Christmas by preparing gifts for the Christ child on Christmas Eve. I loved that the focus of gift giving was for Christ as opposed to the hustle and bustle and commercialism that is so common in American households. The gifts were labors of love too and involved special crafts, skills or homegrown gifts. Lucind and her mama have been asked to weave the special blanket for Baby Jesus as the one they have used for years is very old and worn.

When Lucinda's mama becomes ill, Lucinda is unable to finish the blanket by herself and the more she tries, the more tangled the yarn in the loom becomes. Lucinda is disheartened and worried about her mother, as well as saddened that her family has no gift to give the Christ child. Suddenly an old woman appears and suggests Lucinda pick some simple native weeds and bring them to Christ. In humility, Lucinda does that, and as you can guess, these become the beautiful poinsettia plants, the flor de la Nochelbuena, that we associate with Christmas today!

The reference and picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe was a nice touch for Catholic children who are familiar with story, and it was nice to see the shrine to our lady as part of Lucinda's everyday life. My children identified with Lucinda's fears for her mother, and also her fear of being different from the rest of the community. They also felt it was very brave of her to come forward with such a simple gift in the face of much splendor. After reading the story, my kids also became more aware of the poinsettias at church and other places and we even bought our own!

Overall I think this is a very nice book to read during the Advent season in preparation for Christmas, and a nice way for the family to focus on what is most important during this beautiful holiday.

This story was very moving. I applaud Don and the others for their work saving these amazing horses! It was a little slow reading but well worth it to learn first hand how these horses were saved by some extremely courageous people. It moved me to tears at times. I have since been looking for all the information I can find about Badger and Midnight. Not an easy task!
Thanks, Don for sharing your story with us!

As history shows again and again,these are "EVERYBODY'S HORSES"
I spent of lot of years north and south of White Sands,but wasn't in
the area when this situation occured unfortunately.As a horse lover,
owner ,practicing learning trainer this book could not be put down once
started . It has it's emotional tugs and real problems and is obviously
written from the heart . One of the best real world situations you rarely see or hear about in these too busy days. Even if you're not a 24hr
horse person this book is a must read piece of western history.
God Bless Dr.Don Hoglund and the many others involved who know what
a horse's Spirit is all about.
Sincerely R W

This book is one you won't be able to put down. Not only is the rescue riveting, but the description of the cultural circles of these horses is so well documented. Very well written and one that should be on every horseperson's booklist.

Maybe it was my expectations but this is a pretty slow reading book....

Any number of adjectives come to mind when I begin to contemplate the rescue of these magnificent creatures. Heroic, compassionate, courageous and dedicated only begin to describe the efforts of the team assembled by Don Hoglund and others. "Nobody's Horses" tells the amazing and heartwarming story of the rescue of some 2000 wild horses from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in 1995. It was a task wrought with danger from the get-go. And the fact of the matter is that the effort was none too popular with the animal rights crowd in this country either. But Don Hoglund knew better. He and his associates understood that these animals simply had to be relocated or they would not make it. The severe drought and lack of food at White Sands had made their long-term survival extremely problematic. "Nobody's Horses" is a fascinating piece of American history. The tale told by Don Hogland, DVM is simply riveting!
On a scorching July day in 1994, White Sands wildlife biologist Patrick Morrow made a gruesome discovery. Scores of wild horses were dead or dying near a watering hole on the range. When the dust had settled, a total of 122 horses had died. This was really the last straw. Those in positions of responsibility who really cared about these animals were convinced that most of them would perish if left to fend for themselves in such inhospitable conditions. An incredibly painful decision was made to move these horses off the land that they had occupied for centuries. The work would be difficult and extremely dangerous. It would require a team of intensely tough and dedicated individuals. That team would be led by Don Hoglund. Don was a respected veterinarian and a nationally recognized authority on the plight of wild horses. It is clear that he was the right man for this job.
"Nobody's Horses" recalls in exquisite detail the rescue of nearly 2000 wild horses from the deserts of New Mexico. In the course of this beautifully written book you will learn all about where these animals originally came from and how they had lived life on the range. You will meet several members of the team assembled by Don Hoglund including Les Gililland whose ancesters had owned several ranches in the area now occupied by the White Sands Missile Range. All of these folks were kicked off their land back in 1942 and given pennies on the dollar by the U.S. government for their land. These folks were told this was to be a temporary arrangement to help support the war effort. But these people never got to return to their homes nor did they get their livestock back and Les was still bitter. Some of the horses that were to moved were direct descendants of the animals his grandfather and great grandfather had owned. As someone who hails from the Northeast these issues were largely new to me and I found this entire story to be a real eye opener. In "Nobody's Horses" you will get a glimpse at the planning for this monumental effort and experience the trials and tribulations of the actual move. You will also discover just what happened to these horses once they were rescued. For the most part it was a very happy ending. As I mentioned earlier, "Nobody's Horses" is an extremely well written book that focuses on issues that I suspect most Americans know little or nothing about. A great read and a great way to expand your horizons! Highly recommended!

The Origins of New Mexico Families is a must have source book for anyone conducting genealogy research that includes New Mexico. A Must Have Book!

Very interesting, felt there could have been more added but was happy to have as a resource and history reference.

This is an excellent resource for New Mexican genealogy research. The information is documented, the layout is clear, and the book is easy to use. I have consistently returned to this book while researching for my clients' family history and for mine as well. There are some errors, so don't use this book as the sole source of your work.

The only problem I see with this book is that sometime people become TOO eager to make their known lines stretch out to "fit" the work in here. But most researchers, professional and ameteur, aren't like that.

Purchase this book before it goes out of print, just like the previous reviewer urges. You'll use it for decades.

Salena Ashton

If you have ancestors listed in this book, you must have it. Just to see them listed in it makes you feel soo proud and you have it to show others in case they think you are full of crap.

I was priviliged to make the aquaintance of the author a few years prior to his passing in Santa Fe NM. He was a true Renaissance Man - a painter, a poet, an historian, an author, etc. in addition to his lifetime of service in the Franciscan order. His prose and poetry have won literary prizes in the U.S. and Europe.

This book is THE starting place for anyone having family history ties to New Mexico, and a must-read for those interested in the history of New Mexico. Well before Jamestown and the Pilgrims, New Mexico was settled continuously beginning in 1598 by Spaniards whose descendents today still make up a major portion of the population of New Mexico.

This book has been reprinted numerous times and sells out every time. I recommend you get it now before it goes out of print and distribution again. This newer edition reprint was launched by the nephew (Dr. Thomas Chávez)of the author and the edition includes important new material.

I recognize some the other reviewers above, who are experienced genealogists specializing in New Mexico. We all agree - this book is essential for every New Mexico genealogist and historian.

John E. Chavez (aka: El Profe Loco)

Dr. Hordes, long recognized as the "guru" of Crypto-Judaism in the Southwest, has written a book all academics and SERIOUS students of this fascinating subject will find an invaluable addition to their libraries. For those with closed minds on the topic, it's unlikely even this exceptionally well documented and highly readable book will prove compelling. For those three or four individuals who seem to think they can enhance their professional standing by attempting to refute the absolutely solid scholarship and careful, well-documented research this book represents, oh well---. Two fools do not make one wise man. For the rest of us, I can only say, "Bravo, Bravo, Sr. Hordes! Well done!" And for those of you reading this book, (hopefully, with an open mind!) don't skip the footnotes. They're a treasure-trove of information (albeit, the reader will be well-served by the ability to read Spanish). The fascinating emergence of Crypto-Jews in New Mexico--and elsewhere in the Southwestern United States--is a FACT. Deniers SHOULD be silenced by this exceptional work. Sadly, some never will be. I, for one, will light my Shabbat candles openly (at last!) in honor of my Hispanic ancestors who were denied that sacred privilege for five hundred + years. They traveled "To The End of the Earth" seeking safety, all the while preserving what they could of their Sephardic Judaism against incredible odds. Dr. Hordes honors the sacrifice of these brave, determined settlers with a truly significant book.
Randy Baca
Author

This new book by Dr. Hordes is an excellent introduction to an area of study that has been given only opinionated overviews up to this point. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Horde's thesis, that fact is Sephardic Jewish culture is a crucial element of the overall Hispanic experience, as much as the Moorish, Roman, and Visigothic contributions. To deny this is to live in darkness. As Spain's historiography is finally opening and accepting of its Jewish past, so too should Hispanic Americans open up and accept that past. It is reality.

While a well written book, I also enjoyed immensely the copious footnotes Horde's provides, to give an indication of the enormous amount of work and research that went into this book. Archives throughout Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Mexico, and New Mexico were searched for scattered references and indications of ANY possible behavior that could point the way to any latent Crypto-Jewish practices or cultural rememberances. Inquisition documents, incredible sources of social and cultural history, were used in an amazing way to gain insight into the world of these Hispanic peoples living in times more complex than we may care to admit.

Ultimately, one must make up their own mind regarding the Crypto-Jews of New Mexico. But if one is responsible in their intellect, they will make an informed decision, one that will require the reading of this book. Whether one's name is Encinias, Truxillo, Martinez, or Chavez, it cannot be denied: you have a Sephardic Jewish past. It comes through not only our bloodlines in Iberia, co-mingling with the native blood of the Americas, but also through our rich Catholic cultural heritage, which itself sprang out of the Jewish Semitic Middle East.

Anyone interested in the diverse and fascinating experience that is the Hispanic experience in the Americas, and in New Mexico in particular, needs to read this book now!

Thesis: Many of the Spanish settlers of New Mexico were either secretely practising Jews or recent converts. Through the ensuing centuries, some kept up tradition and practice of their Hebrew faith, in all or part.

I heard this hypothesis when I first moved to the Land of Enchantment in 1979. Most locals took it as likely. However, "studies" on the subject were mainly collections of anecdotes of familes that did not eat pork or that played with draedels in December but didn't know why.

Stanley Hordes has done scholarship a real service with his meticulous, well-documented, and systematic research, as presented in To The End of the Earth. Rather than rushing into anecdotes, he first gives a broad backdrop of the history of Judaism in Iberia and the political and religious upheavals there in the 13th through 16th centuries.

Having set the stage, Hordes then follows families of "new Christians" to Mexico. Through an examination of correspondence, records of the Holy Office (Inquisition) and other documents, he traces the likely practice of crypto-Judaism in Old Mexico.

Only then does he set forth north of the Rio Bravo to see the fate of some likely Jewish or formerly Jewish families, trace their practices, and scour for physical evidence among a group that was reticent to leave records of what was long an illegal practice.

Hordes wraps up nicely with not only the family stories but with DNA and blood protein studies. He falls short in actually finding evidence such as hidden synagogues or secret Torahs, but he certainly paints a compelling picture that many of the Hispano settlers of New Mexico were, at the very least, reluctant conversos.

This is an engrossing and well-referenced work for any serious scholar. While not light reading, it is also not too challenging for a non-anthropologist.

By all means, if the thesis is of interest to you, you should order this book.

A couple of years ago I went to a lecture that Dr. Stanley Hordes presented to the New Mexico Genealogy Society. He discussed his then upcoming book about crypto-Jews in New Mexico titled "To the End of the Earth." What intrigued me about Dr. Hordes lecture was that he found proof that the colony of Nuevo Leon, Nuevo Espana ( present day Mexico) probably was populated with crypto-Jews. This same colony en masse tried to illegally colonize New Mexico in 1591, and a few of these people were also part of the official New Mexico colony in 1598. Dr. Hordes' makes a very good argument that there were crypto-Jews in New Mexico during the first years of colonization and that their descendants continued practicing Judaism up until the present day.

A crypto-Jew is a person who converted or whose ancestors converted to Christianity yet still secretly practices Judaism. As with many other Christian countries, Jews were persecuted in Spain during the Middle Ages. In 1390 many Jews converted to Christianity after an especially devastating pogrom. In 1492, after King Fernando and Queen Isabel conquered the last vestige of Muslim Spain in Granada, the Christian monarchs officially expelled the Jews from Spain. All who stayed in Spain were required to convert to Catholicism. Many went to Portugal where they too were forced to convert.

The Spanish Inquisition persecuted many of these New Christians as apostates and heretics. Many were accused of going back to their old religion. In order to avoid prosecution many New Christians went to the New World. Dr. Hordes shows how one such colony from Portugal under the leadership of Luis de Carvajal y de la Cueva were almost definitely New Christians, and most likely crypto-Jews.

Carvajal was given permission by the King Philip II of Spain to found a colony in Nuevo Leon. The king gave specific instructions to officials not to question the ethnicity of the people in this colony. Dr. Hordes contends that these people were probably New Christians since at the time New Christians prohibited from going to the New World. The king's instructions would have made it easier for them to cross over to Mexico. As further proof Hordes notes that Carvajal's son was later prosecuted by the Inquisition. During the younger Carvajal's arrest Gaspar Castano de Sosa lead the entire colony to New Mexico. Hordes contends that he probably did this in order to escape being prosecuted himself as a judaizer. However Castano de Sosa was arrested anyway for trying to illegally colonize New Mexico.

Hordes uses church and government records to demonstrate the possibility that New Christians practiced Judaism throughout New Mexico history. His argument is strongest with the early years of the colony when Inquisition records documented investigations into possible judaizers. He also uses genealogy to show how certain assumed crypto-Jewish families intermarried within culture. However, his arguments are weaker when it comes to the present day. Although there is some proof that certain present day Hispano New Mexican families continue the practice of crypto-Judaism, there are questions as to whether certain evidence truly demonstrates this practice. Hordes does not completely dispel these questions, although he comes closer than others who have tried to prove this theory.

Dr. Hordes' book is well researched and was a fascinating read. Any person interested in Hispanic New Mexican history and genealogy should read this book. One then can make up his or her mind whether Dr. Hordes proves that crypto-Judaism indeed was practiced throughout New Mexico's history.

More than 700 footnotes add up to an extraordinary story well worth the telling: quite a few "manitos" of Northern New Mexico were probably crypto-Jews who preserved parts of their own culture through centuries of isolation. So we discover that Hispanos and Hebrews are both part of Chicano history in the American Southwest.

Since these individuals covered their tracks well and most are long dead, the trail was cold and neglected. However, Dr. Hordes did not take the easy, glamorous and lucrative route to selling their extraordinary history. Instead, he and his colleagues spent years and years pouring over thousands of documents. As one who has looked at a little of this "paleography," let me testify that a person can go blind staring at that terrible, ancient, blotched and blotted handwriting. I appreciate such careful scholarship; it lays out all possible evidence without overreaching.

Thanks to this book, a vast number of dots have been laid out on the map of New Mexican history. While each by itself is not conclusive, when I connect the dots I see the fascinating faces of religious dissidents who courageously preserved their own beliefs in the face of enormous social pressure. They went "To the Ends of the Earth" to preserve their integrity. I find their story inspiring.

...que cuando antes de amarte me olvidé de tus besos mi corazón quedó recordando tu boca".
Uno de los sonetos de amor mas lindos y mas profundos que se han escrito! Neruda sabe como tratar su tema sin dejarse llevar por la melodia de sus palabras, escribe del amor como la siente y como la piense sin decir mas ni menos. Sus palabras se sienten, los disfrutas, son una bella cancion que suena real pero no estas seguro si es tu realidad, la que siempre sabias de ser asi o un suenio...

Neruda sigue siendo uno de los grandes. Y este libro, uno de los clásicos indiscutibles.

The "Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada" is the best-selling book of poetry ever in the Spanish language and established Neruda as one of the great talents of the 20th century. Each of the 21 poems is touching, full of illusion and warmth, with an amazing use of imagery. The last two express loss and heartbreak in a breathtaking way. Poem #20 is perhaps the most famous: "Tonight I can write the saddest verse."

The "100 Sonetos," written many years later, contain some gems, though I much prefer the first book. Don't make the mistake of thinking that these were all written for the same woman -- they weren't! Neruda seduced many of his muses with his poetry.

Los "Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada" es el libro de poesía más popular en la historia del idioma español, y estableció a Neruda como uno de los talentos más grandes del siglo XX. Cada uno de los poemas es conmovedor, lleno de ilusión y calidez, con un uso asombrante de imágenes. Los dos últimos expresan el dolor de la pérdida en una forma espectacular. El poema #20 es probablemente el más famoso: "Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche."

El libro de los "Cien sonetos," escritos años después, contiene algunos poemas excelentes, pero carece de la misma vitalidad que el primero. No vayas a pensar que Neruda compuso todos estos poemas para la misma mujer! Sedujo a muchas de sus musas con su poesía.

Con versos fáciles de recordar, Neruda escribe en su juventud, este fundamental libro de poesía que cambiaría los ritmos y la forma de enamorar a generaciones de jóvenes, que aún copian sus versos para expresar sus sentimientos. Es una lectura indispensable que recomiendo a los que deseen acercarse a la mejor poesía de amor en español.

This is one of the first books of poetry that Neruda published back before the middle of the 20th century. It is an excellent and very recognized book - of poetry. I think the most important thing of Neruda is that he celebrated the goodness of poetry and good art. In that it is a way of enjoying life, and not gettting caught in the vanity or less popular ways of living or acting towards others (selfishness, greed etc).

This book is that. It is full of beauty. His poetry is one of the most recognized unversally, selling many copies (over amillion in spanish, and that was by 1956.

The most gratifying thing of this book and Neruda in general is the happiness, sadness - different emotions - that it depicts. And most importantly a work of quality.

What Night Forgets By Don Yorty Herodias

American writer-artist-poet, world traveler, and Manhattan community activist Don Yorty's first novel, the politically explosive, erotically charged What Night Forgets (Herodias)-set in Mexico against a compelling backdrop of international governmental intrigue, zanily complicated exotic travelers, stunning regional flamboyance, and apocalyptic redemption-is a literary masterpiece. There's a picture-postcard perfection that lies on the surface which he peels away to reveal what simmering violence lurks beneath to erupt into sudden, stark chaos; and then the luminous possibility of renewal. Imagine Night of the Iguana mated with Under the Volcano, and a brief side-trip to "Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" country. Lavishly descriptive, Yorty gives us the unseen hand of the CIA wreaking its global destabilization; shimmering with lust, madness, bad politics, destructive marriages, an ambiance of dreamily realized eros, the timeless wonder of grasshoppers with lime, and the sheer redemption of harvesting alfalfa with a machete.

-Maralyn Lois Polak

What Night Forgets

By Don Yorty

Herodias

American writer-artist-poet, world traveler, and Manhattan community activist Don Yorty's first novel, the politically explosive, erotically charged What Night Forgets (Herodias)-set in Mexico against a compelling backdrop of international governmental intrigue, zanily complicated exotic travelers, stunning regional flamboyance, and apocalyptic redemption-is a literary masterpiece. There's a picture-postcard perfection that lies on the surface which he peels away to reveal what simmering violence lurks beneath to erupt into sudden, stark chaos; and then the luminous possibility of renewal. Imagine Night of the Iguana mated with Under the Volcano, and a brief side-trip to "Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" country. Lavishly descriptive, Yorty gives us the unseen hand of the CIA wreaking its global destabilization; shimmering with lust, madness, bad politics, destructive marriages, an ambiance of dreamily realized eros, the timeless wonder of grasshoppers with lime, and the sheer redemption of harvesting alfalfa with a machete.

-Maralyn Lois Polak

I have just finished reading Yorty's first novel for the third time. I can't stop comparing him to my other favorite novelists: Conroy, Kingsolver, Uris and Steinbeck. He paints beautiful images with poetic prose that transport me to locations I've never been. Don Yorty's new book is on my list of the 10 best I've read in the last decade (and I read a lot!) I anxiously await his next novel. Buy this book!

Profound story woven together like a fine linen cloth. A page turner. If you never traveled, you will after reading this book. Vivid reading. Reads like Steinbeck. This Don Yorty novel needs planning. Block out the time and find yourself a quiet corner with a DO NOT DISTURB sign. Be prepared to be swept away. Be prepared for the Canadian you will love to hate.

Whereas some poets write prosaic poetry (in style and content),Don Yorty writes poetic prose. That doesn't make his prose less real, only more vivid. He is a talent a teacher gets once a career if she's lucky.

There is nothing I can say that would do any justice as to how great this book is. It was everything you could possibly hope for in an ethnographic text. You learn a lot about a culture very different from ours and it is truly just fascinating!

What do people make of places? Basso's opening sentence is a good example of what the Apache call `letting one's mind have room'. As we read through the chapters of the book Basso continues to add layers to the meaning of this opening question. It allows us to reflect on various uses of the word `make'. We make sense of places by interpreting them. We make places intelligible by foregrounding them. We make use of places; as sign posts or land-marks through the use of descriptive naming. We make places or constitute them as sites or repositories of learning; we invest them as placeholders for morality tales or homilies. We make places vital; we invest them with agency, we enchant them, animate them, in the spirit of golems; we take a piece of earth and through magic or metaphysics we bring it alive, giving it a mission and a life of its own.

Wisdom sits in places. The Apache are a good example of virtue ethics. This is a theory of ethics, usually based on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, which argues against an ethical universalism and in favor of a particularism. It foregoes the quest for nomothetic foundations and looks instead to the development of certain skills or character traits. Aristotle created a catalogue of areas of behavior or traits with a continuum of possible dispositions. The virtuous behavior was the means between the two extremes of each continuum. Thus the virtue of bravery was somewhere in the range between cowardice and foolhardiness or irrational voluntarism in the face of impossible odds or a meaningless risk.
Aristotle's concept of phronesis finds an interesting parallel in the Apache moral imagination. Phronesis is a meta-virtue; it is the ability to choose the right action for each particular event; the ability to find the virtuous means between vicious poles. It is the essential skill for particularism which is the theory that the right action, the correct moral choice is particular to each unique event. It is opposed to the universalist proposition that there are sets of moral propositions or codes that we can apply in a covering law model. Universalism holds that when two of our moral codes clash we resolve the dilemma by applying a meta-rule, most commonly a deontological (Kantian) or utilitarian proposition.
The Apache's sense of wisdom is a good example of a pragmatic ethics informed by a set of virtues that are learned and continually developed throughout their life's journey. In the first chapter we note how each speaker brings the homily (the moral lesson associated with a place name) forward, making it their own, fleshing it out. One imagines that each speaker and hearer of place names is expected to silently immerse themselves in each homily; making it real by seeing it happen. The act of giving vision to the oral narrative is a process of developing layers upon layers of particular exemplars of the lesson. It is thus internalized and carried forward for the next use. As one gains wisdom one becomes more proficient at seeing when and where to apply these lessons.
This is similar to the thought of the American pragmatist and logician, C. S. Peirce, who proposed a fallibilism about knowledge, truth, and scientific results. He felt that we were always discovering more and that a full statement of any putative universal law was always deferred. Peirce's original pragmatism differed from what James and Dewey later made of it. For Peirce we expanded our sense of a truth through a process of discovering layers upon layers of particular applications and gradually gaining more of an understanding of the wider truth. But his sense of fallibilism posited rich moral concepts such as justice or duty as essentially contested concepts.

We have maps in our heads. There are other interesting parallels with the ancient Greeks besides virtue ethics. There is a significant body of study regarding Plato's thought on the spoken and written word. Plato argued that reality resides in absolute and eternal forms. Thus the impressions available to our senses are imitations that is but a shadow of these eternal truths; they confuse us and should not be trusted. Worse still are the imitations of imitations; thus his polemics against poetry, art, and the written word. It would be interesting to combine this with the study of texts in the 20th century to look at the Apache's preference for maps in the head. Barthes, Derrida and others all expanded our notion of what can serve as texts and it might be interesting to look at Apache use of places through some of those lenses.
In addition there are interesting parallels with the sophists. Although Plato and Socrates succeeded in creating our contemporary disdain for sophism, recent work in the study of Isocrates and others brings a new appreciation of certain tenets of sophism. The sophists exhibited some similarities to the Apache notions of epistemology. They both saw the elders and ancestors as the source of wisdom and warrants for knowledge to be used for current problems. They both argued that the knowledge of the past resided less in universal laws than in practices of the ancestors; actual responses to past dilemmas that are best accessed through interpretation rather than a rote use of the covering law model or a slavish rehearsal of rigid and dogmatic rituals.
They both thought that knowledge (as justified true belief) was discovered and ultimately ratified and warranted by the voice of the majority; the interpretation that found the most general favor. The sophists proposed that vigorous debate in an open forum of citizens is the most epistemologically sound form of inquiry. Their best speakers would take both sides on various propositions of what the ancestors would have done in the current crisis. The goal was to make the best possible argument for all options and let the citizenry decide.
Both the ancient Greeks and the Apache continued to observe religious rituals but it would also be interesting to compare characteristics of their religious cosmology, the role of the gods, and their associations with natural entities and nature in general.

This book was mediocre at best. Although Keith Basso did provide some insight into why the Apache people cherish their land, I felt that Basso kept on saying the exact same thing in every sentence. I had the point of the entire book by the time I was ten pages into it, and it kept on going, therefore making me lose my concentration on what I was reading.

Anthropologists, language students, and Native American culture afficionados will find this book, and any by Keith Basso, written links into a cultural past which struggles to exist today. As the Western Apache tribes become more modern, the information found in this and other Keith Basso writings, become necessities in the preservation of traditional Apache culture; with the exception of the knowledge of a few hundred very traditional Apaches still living in Arizona.

What do people make of places? This is the central question examined by Keith Basso in his ethno-linguistic study of the relationship between language and landscape among the Apaches of Cibecue, on the Fort Apache Reservation in central Arizona. Basso, a professor of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, has spent over 30 years conducting field work among the Western Apaches. His publications concerning this group include articles on language, patterns of silence in social interaction, witchcraft beliefs, and ceremonial symbolism, among others. The idea for Wisdom Sits in Places stemmed from a study conducted between 1979 and 1984, in which Basso, with the help of a grant from the National Science Foundation and the guidance of the Apaches, conducted a study of Apache places and place-names; how the Apache refer to their land, the stories behind the place-names, and how these place-names are used in daily conversation by Apache men and women. The result is a stunningly informative account of the use of landscape and language in the social interactions of the Western Apaches.
Basso divides his book into four sections: Quoting the Ancestors, Stalking with Stories, Speaking with Names, and Wisdom Sits in Places. Each chapter's focus is to examine how landscape and language serve distinct purposes in Western Apache society. Basso incorporates the oral history of, and discussions with, local Apaches, as well as his formal training as an ethnographer-linguist, to explain the underlying themes of this book.
First, Basso introduces the reader to the idea of place-names and in the Western Apache construction of history. As conceived by the Apaches, the past is a "well-worn `path' or `trail' which was traveled first by the people's founding ancestors and which subsequent generations of Apaches have traveled ever since" (31). The ancestors gave names to places, based on events that occurred there. Regardless of the physical changes in the landscape that occurred over time, the story of what took place, as well as the place-name, was passed down through generations and serves as a connection between the people and their ancestors.
Second, Basso examines how the language and the land are "manipulated by Apaches to promote compliance with standards for acceptable social behavior and the moral values which support them" (41). The historical tales of place-names are without exception morality tales, intended to influence patterns of social action. Their purpose is to serve as warnings, criticisms, and enlightenment for those who are behaving improperly; not in accordance with the Apache way of life. The telling of a historical tale is "intended as a critical and remedial response" to an individual's having committed one or more social offenses. Apaches contend that if the message is taken to heart, a lasting bond will have been created between that individual and the site at which the events in the tale took place. In short, the land, accompanied with its historical tale, "makes the people live right" (61).
Third, through the act of "speaking with names", place-names can be condensed "into compact form their essential moral truths" (101). "Speaking with names" is considered appropriate only under certain circumstances, generally to enable those who engage in it "to acknowledge a regrettable circumstance without explicitly judging it, to exhibit solicitude without openly proclaiming it, and to offer advice without appearing to do so" (91). Evoking images of a particular place and narrative thus replaces a more direct form of advice or criticism, with "a minimum of linguistic means" (103).
Finally, with the guidance of his Apache friend, Dudley Patterson, Basso examines the path of wisdom in Western Apache society. Patterson explains there are two mental conditions, "steadiness of mind", and "resilience of mind", which lead to a third and most desirable condition, smoothness of mind. These three conditions are not innate; therefore, one must work on one's mind in order to gain wisdom. To work on one's mind, "one must observe different places, learn their Apache place-names, and reflect on traditional narratives that underscore the virtues of wisdom" (134). A resilient mind, according to Patterson, does not "give in to panic or fall prey to spasms of anxiety or succumb to spells of crippling worry" (132). A steady mind is "unhampered by feelings of arrogance or pride, anger or vindictiveness, jealously or lust" (133). Steadiness and resilience give way to a sense of "cleared space" or "area free of obstruction", conditions necessary for smoothness of mind. Only those who continue on the trail of wisdom their whole lives come closest to having a smooth mind, and are "able to foresee disaster, fend off misfortune, and avoid explosive conflicts with other persons" (131). Thus, wisdom is intertwined with the idea of survival through the consistent and thoughtful evocation of landscape and language.
Keith Basso and the Western Apaches of Cibecue have provided readers with an insightful and provocative account of the connection between language, land, and a people's cultural history. Wisdom Sits in Places opens the door for future research on place-names by shedding light on a previously overshadowed topic in anthropological studies. Basso's dissection of certain stories and social interactions can be overwhelming and a bit dry, but his purpose is made clear when his examinations are added together with the Apache narratives. What results is a clear picture of what language and landscape mean to the Western Apaches, the functional versatility of place-names, and the importance of being aware of one's sense of place.

I am currently on my second copy of this book. Someone 'borrowed' my first copy and never returned it--if you have a copy with recipes for scampi, minestrone, and dolmas handwritten on the back pages, please email them to me! And do try them, they are wonderful.

For many years, it was difficult (if not impossible) to find a really good Mexican food cookbook that contained truly authentic recipes. I'd seen books that purported to offer recipes for 'Mexican' foods, only to discover that they just weren't quite right--example: one had a recipe a for a batter, claiming that flour tortillas are 'Mexican crepes'! When I originally discovered the tome, The Cuisines of Mexico, on the bookshelf of a friend, I became entranced.

Not only did the author of this book go to great lengths and difficulties to research authentic recipes and methods, but she also painstakingly tested and recorded her observations. Something I've noticed over the years is that recipes, like language, often drift from their origins until it is nearly impossible to discern how they used to be made. With this book, you get the best of all worlds--both original recipes/methods, as well as adaptations and suggestions/room for modernizing recipes and techniques.

After reading about how a simple dish of Mexican rice cooked over an open fire tasted and smelled to Ms. Kennedy, I adapted a recipe using fresh (homegrown) tomatoes and peppers--roasted on the barbeque using mesquite chips to give them that nice smoky flavor she found so wonderful--that I cook in my rice cooker. All of my friends (many of which are of Mexican descent) say it is 'the best.' At our town barbeques, it is invariably the first thing gone--and I have a really big rice cooker. Thank you, Ms Kennedy.

All hail Diana!

Diana Kennedy's The Cuisines of Mexico is a fabulous book for those who are interested in making the best tasting Mexican food you have ever had. Not only are the recipes fantastic, but she also includes detailed explanations of ingredients and a pronunciation guide. This book is worth every penny just for part one, which is the ingredients and procedures. You will learn everything you need to know in order to cook truly authentic and fantastic Mexican food.

While Diana Kennedy does offer a source list for ingredients, I would like to add that the online store Mesa Mexican Foods offers many of the authentic Mexican ingredients needed to make Diana's great dishes.

This is actually the second authentice Mexican cuisine cookbook that I have purchased. The recipes are very authentic (from what my Mexican friends have told me) and I can tell you from personal knowledge that the recipes are delicious. Among my favorites are the frijoles recipes and duck mole. I would consider this book a must have for any kitchen that serves or seeks to serve authentic Mexican food.

Several factors have conspired to keep most North Americans
and Europeans from grasping the wonder and complexity of
Mexican food.
First, there's the smoke screen created by greasy-spoon and
fast-food imitations. It's hard to imagine great tastes when
you've just gobbled down a two-buck taco that smells a bit
funny. In fact, it's hard to find real examples of wonderful
Mexican food outside of that country.
Then there's the question of fashion: in the first
world we are eating a slimmer and healthier cuisine these
days and a lot of Mexican dishes with their high saturated
fat and sodium, seem to be the opposite of that.
There's also the problem of hard-to-find ingredients and the
taste of cornmeal which is problematic for those of us
raised on wheat-breads and pasta.

So Diana Kennedy's The Cuisines of Mexico is both a cook-
book and a revelation. Just the acknowledgement that there
are more than one Mexican cuisine will be a surprise for many.
Her discussion of the ingredients and procedures of those
cuisines will be a revelation to even most sophisticated
cooks. This discussion comprises the first of three parts of
the book and as a prod to the imagination, is worth the price
of the book. Kennedy's view of kitchen equipment is Mexico-
centric and one could imagine an update that included more
on food processors, blenders and pressure cookers.
Then the recipes begin. Contrary to the title's promise, they
are not organized geographically, but rather by food type. Some
of these recipes are breathtaking. Two moles, the poblano and
the green mole with duck will probably change the way you
think about stews forever.
The recipes for beans could keep you entertained for a month.
Frijoles colados y refritos a la Yucateca can be modified to
make an almost-instant treat that's remarkably healthy. (see
the Amazon.com site for Beano )
You should also take some time to learn from Buñuelos (fritters)
and the remarkable Budins-puddings that unite vegetables and
cheese.
This book is the perfect gift for any imaginative cook.

--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the forthcoming novel bang BANG from Kunati Books.ISBN
9781601640005

We've had this book for years and have enjoyed most recipes - there was one lackluster soup we tried. The duck mole is so amazing and easy!! We even tried it with watercress in place of radish leaves and used leftover cornmeal & ground walnuts (used to coat our souffle pans) in addition to the pumkin seeds she calls for - excellent! We finally mastered her Mexican rice - you really do need to put the cloth on it at the end - but so delicious!!! The turkey mole makes for a great change for Thanksgiving!