Mexico Books

Lucien Niemeyer and Thomas Lowe Fleischner's Desert Wetlands is a 'must' for any collection focused on ecology and desert environments. 'Desert wetlands' may seem an inconsistent term, but there are indeed wetlands in the desert, as photographer Lucian Niemeyer and environmental scientist Thomas Fleischner demonstrate. While Niemeyer photographs such wetlands in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, among other states, naturalist Fleischner provides stories about water and his encounters with desert wetlands during his field research in the southwest.

All our states have wetlands. But the wetlands in the Chihuahuan, Great Basin, Mojave and Sonoran deserts play a much more important role than wetlands in the east. For northern birds and mountain animals migrate down south to these deserts for food, mating and water. They can't count on water from rainfall. The area's so hot rain dries back into the air. That's exactly why they're called deserts. The original word in Latin means abandoned or forsaken. And deserts have been abandoned or forsaken by water.

But that's in terms of rain water. In fact, these deserts have water. The water's found in areas called wetlands. Wetland water comes from three sources. One's mountain snow melting in spring and fall. Much of that water stays in mountain bogs, lakes and ponds dammed by beavers. But some always trickles into the deserts during the summer. Another's the underground water table. That's becoming a problem. More cattle-grazing also means more cows drinking water. More people working, playing and living in the areas means more Americans using water.

The last source is area rivers, such as the Rio Grande and the San Pedro, San Juan, Escalante and Colorado rivers. All the great area rivers start out as source number 1. For they trace back to melted snow of the Cascade, Rocky, San Juan and Sierra Nevada mountains. River water's also becoming a problem. More cattle tanks, dams, reservoirs and stock ponds change river water levels and routes. Changed water levels and routes will change living conditions for area plants, bugs, birds and animals.

Specifically, two main types of plant communities grow up along southwest rivers. One's a mixed broadleaf of willow, walnut, sycamore, cottonwood, ash and alder. That's usually found along rocky streams. The other's a forest of cottonwoods and willows. That's usually found on flooded sand, gravel and clay plains. But non-native Russian olive in the north and tamarisk in the south are giving native cottonwoods and willows a beating. White pelicans and sandhill cranes see native trees as familiar landmarks of desert wetland homes. In fact, cottonwoods and willows are homes to more breeding birds than anywhere else in North America. Breeding birds and their babies find the healthest foods, full of proteins and vegetables, in cottonwood and willow leaves full of insects.

Desert wetlands make up only 3.5% of total U.S. lands. But after tropical rainforests, they're the world's second largest supporters of plant, bug, bird and animal life. Also, they're homes to 50% of all our endangered animals. It all comes down to link after link between native plants, bugs, birds and animals built up over time in one area.

Photographer Lucien Niemeyer and writer Thomas Lowe Fleischner have come up with an impressive book. The writing's clearly organized. The photographs are stunning. The examples are to-the-point. The last chapter's followed by a list of all plants and animals covered by the book. The book ends with a helpful set of notes and a current bibliography.

Without drama and with supported facts, this team has given us what we need to know about that problem area where people and nature are closing in on each other. It's what Virginia Tech master gardening calls the wildlands-urban interface between people and nature. That's the big concern nowadays. And it's not going to go away.

I hate to confess this, but this is a book that I have used for a number of years but am too cheap to buy. Therefore, when I need it, I check it out from the local library. I do this often and the librarian has gotten to the point where she sort of raises her eyebrows at me each time I drag it up to the desk.

As a winter, and sometimes summer, hobby I work with gourds. I carve, paint, burn, etch, draw on, and shape different hard shell gourds and have for years. I raise my own; several verities and sizes. The reason I use this particular book, along with quite a number of others, is for inspiration, and to be quite frank, to borrow the designs which I then transfer to my gourd art. My special interest is in designs of "lost civilizations" and cultures. When I am in need of a pre-columbian or a Mexican motif, I turn to this small volume. It is accurate and due to the computer enhancements, very easy to follow. With a bit of practice on paper, I am able to pretty well copy the pattern to any surface I happen to be working on. I do, on many of the designs, modify them to fit my particular need or mood.

In addition, I also make custom canes for people, using hickory for the most part. The designs I find in this book are easily transferred and then carved into the piece I am working on. This spring I plan to start working on primitive clay tiles and plan to use some of the designs found in this volume. We shall see how that works out.

All in all, this is an excellent book and I suppose I should eventually breakdown and buy it. If you are interested in such things, this is a work you cannot go wrong with.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

I have both books by the late Jorge Enciso who did the world a great service by carefully collecting these various designs from the archeological digs of the Mexicas, Toltecs, Totonacs and others.All the designs are black and white and come from various museums and private colections including that of the great Mexican painter Diego Rivera. The designs come from malacates which were small spindles made of clay by the pre-columbiam cultures. There are approximately 2-4 designs per page which allows for clarity for the artists use for reproduction. With the use of computers many of these images may be reproduced for use in any type of creative endeavor where a Mexican motiff is desired. An artist may find the designs inspirational for a new creation or use the existing image as is. Simple geometric designs, including images of humans, animals, flowers both real and imagined give a concise and visual glimpse at the ancient cultures imagery . This is an excellent source book that is useful for a variety of projects and applications for all interested in pre-columbian motiffs. Recommended for teachers, students and artists of all ages. Guaranteed to amaze all with the simplicity of the motiffs yet astound with the imaginative results. This is a worthwhile addition to ones personal libray to be filed under Art or Mexico. School librarians would be helping their students by adding this to their collection of books.

Mary Andrade's bi-lingual (Spanish/English) Day Of The Dead In Mexico: Through The Eyes Of The Soul presents the celebration of one of Mexico's most beautiful, pre-Hispanic traditions as observed in Mexico City, Mixquic, and Morelos, when families honor their ancestors through ritual, festival, and celebration. Beautifully presented color photography enhanced the text throughout, including information on the celebratory preparations, buying of items in the marketplace (tianguis) that will be used in the altars; the offerings (ofrendas) in homage to the souls of the dad; and the cemetery vigil. Also very highly recommended for multicultural studies collections and Hispanic culture reading lists are Mary Andrade's companion volume, Day Of The Dead In Mexico: Oaxaca (0966587618) which focuses on how the festival observances in the Mexican state of Oaxaca.

This book gives much insight to the celebration of Day of the Dead. It provides a lot of information of how the Day of the Dead celebration is done in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. This book is bilingual which is great.

The color photographs are outstanding.

You can't go wrong with these Art books! I use them all the time in my Art room...great way to introduce the "sometimes" boring topic of Art history.

My son is 8 years old and had to do a book report over the summer on Diego Rivera.
This book was recommended by his teacher and I would highly recommend it as well.
Super easy to read and follow and made it interesting enough for my son to enjoy.
He was able to read this in a day!

In the center of the book are copies of Diego's paintings: Calle de Pueblo, Workers' Meeting, Zapata Buried, and more. Describes colorfully Rivera's relationship with Frida Kahlo and the ways that Rivera mixed art with politics. The Medallion Edition is really attractive.

This is a fantastic book for young people interested in Diego Rivera, art history, politics and/or hispanic culture. I like that this book tells the story of the man, and how all the interconnected parts of this person add up to an extraordinary life.

This is an excellent book for someone just starting (or restarting) into the world of railroads (like myself). It provides not only information about diesel locomotives built before 1972, but background about each manufacturer, details of special modifications, locomotive repowerings, and even detail photos of common truck assemblies. Subjects are organized first by manufacturer, then in basic chronological order by specification (normally-aspirated, turbocharged, gas-turbine, etc). It's a fine overview of the first days of diesel.

This is the place to learn concisely and with nice pictures about all the different older diesel engines. Recommended!

Why did Woodrow Wilson land troops at Veracruz? The story of murder, mayhem, revolution, and international intrigue unfolds in the compelling diary of a career diplomat's wife, Edith O'Shaughnessy. A close study of confidential state department correspondence at the time reveals numerous references to Edith, an intelligent hostess who cuts through flappery and posturing to reveal true characters. Her story centers on Mexico during Huerta's regime. Woodrow Wilson directed US forces to bombard and land troops in Veracruz. Edith's clear observations and profound musings, never intended for publication, give an insider's view to an early US attempt at intervention that ended very badly. This book is a treasure because it broke my presumption that a diplomat's wife at that time would only write outdated irrelevant tripe. Edith's story, pieced together with old state department telegrams (available now under the freedom of information act - everyone involved is long gone) makes for a real thriller. I am writing this review from memory, having read the book over ten years ago. Edith will stay with me for all of my life.

Why did Woodrow Wilson land troops at Veracruz? The story of murder, mayhem, revolution, and international intrigue unfolds in the compelling diary of a career diplomat's wife, Edith O'Shaughnessy. A close study of confidential state department correspondence at the time reveals numerous references to Edith, an intelligent hostess who cuts through flappery and posturing to reveal true characters. Her story centers on Mexico during Huerta's regime. Woodrow Wilson directed US forces to bombard and land troops in Veracruz. Edith's clear observations and profound musings, never intended for publication, give an insider's view to an early US attempt at intervention that ended very badly. This book is a treasure because it broke my presumption that a diplomat's wife at that time would only write outdated irrelevant tripe. Edith's story, pieced together with old state department telegrams (available now under the freedom of information act - everyone involved is long gone) makes for a real thriller. I am writing this review from memory, having read the book over ten years ago. Edith will stay with me for all of my life.

Interesting, informative, .............a delight. Yes, "Discovering the Geology of Baja California" is a pleasure and the guided tours that Markes takes one through, will in the end leave the reader with a renewed sense of wonder and appreciation for our planet. In my own case, even before I had gotten to making the actual pilgrimage to Punta Chivato, my eyes had been newly sensitized enough through the reading alone, that I was able to offer up a discovery of my own, which I more or less stumbled upon well south of Professor Johnson's "Living Museum"of Punta Chivato. I can't tell you what a thrill it has been for a novice like myself to help shed even a tiny bit more light on the solution of the geological puzzle of this fascinating penninsula! Since then, between pondering "my site" and actually walking through time at the awesomely beautiful Chivato, I realize that my life has, through exposure to this book, been fundamentally changed for the better. I wasn't looking for a new hobby but it will indeed be hard to shake this one. I therefore highly recommend this book to anyone who might be interested in the geology of Baja California and the associated birth of the Gulf of California. May it broaden your horizons as well.

This book is like a nice walk with a good friend who has a talent for telling great stories. You go along for the pleasantness of the walk, and find yourself transported right into the middle of the story. Here you are, some forty feet above the current level of the sea, standing on a shelf of land that contains the perfectly preserved remains of a coral reef. In another area, some 260 feet above sea level you come across a fossilized seabed jammed with the shells of thousands of oysters. Ancient shark teeth litter the ground on top of a 130-foot high mesa. Your friend walks on a few yards and, with infectious enthusiasm, reads the next chapter of the story to you.

Six hikes around the Punta Chivato area on Baja's Gulf coast introduce you to the fascinating story of Baja's geologic history. If you love Baja, love geology, or just love a nice hike, you'll LOVE this book!

Although this book is geared toward young teens, adult readers will be enchanted with it as well.

The confusion and fears of the main character, 13-year-old Marilyn, are clearly presented and the way that Marilyn deals with them creates an entirely believable story. At times, Marilyn acts much older than her age and at other times, she seems much younger. Exactly as real-life teens do!

In "Discovering the Long Way Home", Julie Larose has created an exceptionally well-written account of how parental emotional abandonment feels from the child's perspective. This issue alone could have made this book depressing for the reader but Julie has filled the pages with hope, caring and understanding. Then, she continues the action to bring the whole issue to a most satisfying resolution.

Young teens will enjoy reading this book for Marilyn encounters many situations that they will be able to relate to but for parents everywhere, this book is a "must read" for it is truly enlightening!

Marilyn's life is not as fun and exciting as you might think. Sure, her mom and dad are famous actors, and they're rich, and she's traveled all over the world -- how could that not be amazing? Well, mostly because both of her parents are so busy working, getting randomly married and divorced, and maintaining their "images" that they're too busy to be interested in Marilyn. The reason she's seen so much of the world is because she keeps getting shipped from parent to parent, based on whose life she'll interfere with the least, or who's tired of having her around. She's had a ton of different half- and step-siblings, but never a family, and never any real friends.

Marilyn has had enough. She's taking charge this time. She's going to run away. Better yet, she's going to make it look like she's been abducted. Then her parents will have to pay attention to her. And when the press gets a hold of the story, they'll have to at least pretend that they care.

Needless to say, things don't quite work out as planned. The first person she hitches a ride with sees through some of her stories. He doesn't know who she is, or why she's running, but he takes her to a place he knows is safe. The small town he drops her off in is completely different than anywhere she's ever lived. And the people... They are unlike anyone in Marilyn's memory. They seem genuinely good and caring. It's almost too bad she'll have to leave and go back to her real world. Speaking of her world, why hasn't there been any mention of her disappearance in any paper?

Marilyn is forced to take a good look at her ideas of life and people. She eventually forges her own path to a life she almost lost, but not before she gets herself into some trouble, meets some people with much bigger problems, and finds exactly what she wasn't looking for.

This is an interesting look at the darker side of Hollywood life, as well as a view of the brighter side of humanity. It's pretty hard to find yourself when there is no one to guide you.

The book is told by Marilyn, with regular trips into her memories. She is a very real and developed character, as are most of the characters. Her history is disturbingly believable. The public knowledge of her parents is a great touch, and done very nicely. I found the very end to be a bit abrupt, but it doesn't really detract from the story itself. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

Reviewed by Haylee Lawler (age 12) for Reader Views (12/06)

This is such a great, fun story. My mom and I read it to each other all the time. The story is about what happens in the life of a boy when he finds a magic ring. I can't wait to share this story with my librarian at school. I think she is going to love it as much as I did. The pictures were great and they made me feel like I was there. This was such a cool book, fun, exciting, and adventurous. Thanks for letting me read it.

I was fortunate enough to read an advance copy of this book. Since then, I keep checking on Amazon to see if it's been released yet. This is such a captivating and exciting story. It's great for children (girls and boys), and also great for adults who may find themselves reading the same stories over and over again to their children. You won't mind reading this story all the time. The story details the life of a boy who finds a magic ring. It's such a great tale, I know you won't be disappointed. I can't wait to buy this book for myself and my friends.