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Written with much respect towards both the preservation and privacy of American Indian plant lore, this book provides an intelligent and entertaining ethnobotanic history of the Southwest. The line drawings clearly key with the plants in their habitats, and Bill Dunmire's color photographs place the plants in typical environments. ...and besides, I'm her son.

This book was written for those of us who live in the arid west, love to garden and desire an attractive landscape, but who are faced with an uncertain water supply. As water resources are becoming more expensive, and in some cases rationed, we all need to consider how to garden appropriately for the climate zone in which we live. This book begins with the rationale for water-wise gardening, takes the reader through an easy to understand planning and design phase, and finishes up with excellent photographs and plant descriptions. Xeriscaping is definitely the wave of the future, no matter where you live!

I'd been searching for a gardening book that laid out gardening by season. This is it if you live in northern california and enjoy a warm, well-written journal style of writing. It's beautifully written and amazingly informative and candid. (The author disagrees and mildly chides Sunset's Western Garden Book!) It was suppposed to be an Xmas gift, but i'm keeping it. It's a great read on cold wet Wednesday morning. Make sure have the Sunset book on the bed with you too.

This book is a quick and easy read -- great for summertime when you want to actually be gardening, not reading! The tips are wonderful, as are the "best" and "worst" plant lists. Many people *will* appreciate the space left for writing down your own ideas or information -- for the cost of the book I personally would rather have more tips in the book itself and jot down my gardening log in a cheap notebook.

"Month-to-Month Gardening: Colorado" is an attractive, well-organized and helpful beginner gardening guide to Colorado. It is one of the few Colorado books that recognize gardening in the Colorado mountains is vastly different from Colorado high plains gardening. This is not an exhaustive book although the variation and the brief format of the tips makes for easy absorption. Included are helpful lists of recommended plants including lists of xeriscape plants, mountain plants, and others. Local landscapers and gardeners have contributed garden designs that help tweak the imagination. If you are starting out in Colorado gardening, this easy to use book will get you pointed in the right direction.

Month-To-Month Gardening Colorado is the best book I've read yet on successful gardening in Colorado. The books offers hundreds of tips on things you can be doing to create a beautiful garden. I especially love the journal provided throughout the book. By journaling facts about my own garden, the book has become my own personal gardening guide. I love this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in successful Colorado gardening.

I found this to be an excellent book about the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Bosnia-Hercegovina. It gave me a concise history and a good summary of the messages given to the children. I also enjoyed the wonderful pictures and the useful bibliography. I recommend it to anyone devoted to Mary and interested in Marian apparitions.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. John Paul Noel has written an inspiring and uplifting account of his pilgrimages to Medjugorje.He puts across in an unpretentious fashion a very readable reporting of the struggles, the hardships and the eventual joy of his and his family's travels to Medjugorje. There is a very definite sense of spiritual growth.

A worthwhile book for those interested in Marian spirituality, would-be pilgrims, and those who just want to know more about the miraculous events in Medjugorje. Great gift for friends and family. Wonderful photographs. I enjoyed reading the book and highly recommend it.

This book helped me to get a good "feel" for Denali and its surroundings. It was easy to read and entertaining. Waterman recounts his life, first in New Hampshire in the white mountains and then later in Denali as a park ranger.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a little history of Denali and its beautiful surroundings through entertaining short stories while not getting bogged down in factual details and structured story lines.

Heck of a book. Kudos to Jon Waterman on putting together a terrific collection of stories related to Denali. For those not well versed in mountaineering I think you can still enjoy this book a great deal. It will give you an honest look into the experience.

In addition, Waterman doesn't try to glamorize it. Sure he'll give you a good look at the many men full of character who have risked life and limb for a chance the climb the high one (as they call Denali). Also some of the stories take place when Jon was younger and you can see how he has matured. He doesn't make any attempt to hide the brashness of his youth. Finally, the climbers themselves really make the book. Read about the 'Pirate', the other Waterman (an especially intriguing story), Wilcox, the inimitable Mugs Stump, and others. A fine book that will having you turning pages and keep your attention.

A real look into the world of mountaineering that hasn't been glamorized or overly dramatized (in the case of other authors). The primary focus is Denali, but the book often shifts attention away from it, giving the reader a good look into the mountaineering career of Jon Waterman and a bit of insight upon many others. For the experienced mountaineer, they can most likely relate to many of Jon's experiences. To the less experienced, it will give a sobering wakeup call to the realities of mountaineering. I must disagree with the reader from NY listed below as stating that "The author falls into the trap of thinking that climbing is going to give him and some other fellow climbers an insight into life beyond that of the ordinary man." For anyone who has survived a truly epic climb, one does gain a bit of insight into life that they failed to notice beforehand, and that many others do not completely understand...do this regularly enough, and it can in fact change a person. The book was NOT self-indulgent in the least...merely giving a first hand account of his experiences, both good and bad. If you are planning a trip to Denali, this should be required reading....

.... This guide of 170 pages devotes about 63 pages to climbing Mt. Shasta. The rest includes: discussions of internal frame vs. external frame packs, how to pack your pack, whether snow shoes are necessary in the summer (!), and such profound statements as "Good quality clothing protects your body from the cold and fierce winds that can generate on the Mountain." Beware of a book with two pages of acknowledgements including two acknowledgements to dogs! Or a climbing guide with a glossary that defines "peak," "run, "trailhead," and "summit." For a climbing guide to Shasta I expect more than just one detailed photo illustrating the route. I expect maps. And I expect the discussion of more than just one route up the mountain. Want to climb Shasta in the winter? Look elsewhere. Want the mileage and elevation gain in detail? Look elsewhere. The list goes on. Is this guide useful for anyone? Yes, it is useful for someone with no climbing experience at all. Anyone else, wait for the next guidebook to be published.

I am planning to Summit Mt. Shasta in the upcoming year; however, I cannot even consider myself a novice--beginner, maybe. I have NEVER climbed before--this book gave me basic information that will help me to plan my trip...everything from general mountain climate to a packing list. Without reading this book, I am afraid I may have not known the essentials (basics) to take with me!

After reading the review titled "A big disappointment" it seems the reviewer has misconceptions about the book. From his eyes, not knowing anything at all about Mt. Shasta and never climbing it before, he was looking for a book that would match climbing Mt. Everest or one that is so advanced that the reader climbing Mt. Shasta for the first time would have no choice but to "look elsewhere." It would be like writing a guide book and then adding a review that condemns the book because it does not have information about the American presidents. The reviewer talks about his extensive climbing experience in his bio.

The fact is there are at least 15,000 people (first time climbers) that attempt to climb Mt. Shasta a year and only a third make it. I would say at least 95 per cent of those that climb have never used an ice axe or crampons. The book is written for those people and it's designed to cover the Avalanche Gulch route only. Mountaineering is a sport and like most sports, you must understand the game. The book helps you understand the mountain and gives you the information that you need to make a safe and successful climb to he summit. It's a companion in your backpack!

Rarely does a work of non-fiction attain the status of "classic" in such a short period of time. In fact, I had heard so much praise for this book that I thought it had been around for much longer than five years. When you think of Mt. Everest chronicles, this is the first one that comes to mind, and for good reason. It is a powerfully gripping story written with all the emotion and insight of a climber/journalist who was right there on the mountain.

Jon Krakauer originally set out with Rob Hall's Adventure Consultants group to write a story about the commercialization of climbing Everest. The events that transpired during their ascent, however, proved to be a much more tragic story. Krakauer recounts the various factors that led to the deaths of several of the climbers in his group. Some were errors in human judgment, like the group's failure to abide by their agreed-upon turnaround time on top of the mountain, and a guide's reckless decision to climb without supplemental oxygen. Other factors were simply beyond their control (though not unimagineable), like the hurricane-force winds that trapped the group above 28,000 feet, in temperatures reaching 100 degrees below zero.

Many people encouraged Krakauer to wait a few years before writing this book, in order to reflect on his experience and avoid presenting an account skewed by emotion and his proximity to the events. I think it is precisely the freshness of his emotional reaction to such a difficult climb and such a tragic end that makes this such a powerful book. Few adventure books will make you feel as close to the action as this one did, or have such a strong emotional impact on its readers.

This riveting book could easily have inspired "Vertical Limit" or "K2." I wouldn't be surprised if someone picked up a copy from my bed stand, started reading, and thought it was a fiction thriller.

Yet, "Into thin air" is an actual memoir of what happened at a particular clambering mission to the top in May 1996. The reader is sucked in to a world and an adventure not ordinarily experienced. We get to know each Sherpa (Nepalese guide), his team, and the painstaking preparations and procedures it takes to accomplish this feat. The pain, the hardships, the loss of sense caused by the brutal cold and the lack of oxygen are all so palpably described I found myself breathing deeply!

The author is not only a veteran mountain climber (with one mishap, of course) but a superb raconteur as well. While the nuts and bolts of his adventures are entertainment enough, his knack for building suspense and employing understated drama makes this memoir read a top-notch script for a Hollywood thriller.

Highly recommended for a gripping narrative of a real-life adventure!

[Note: The book is available for real cheap if you buy it used here at Amazon, and also as an audio tape.]

Into Thin Air is by John Krakauer, an author and mountain climber. Outside Magazine hires him to write an article on the commercialization of Mount Everest. John joins a climbing service and ends up taking the climb of his life. The book is actually written after he survived a life-threatening ascent to the summit of Mount Everest. This book was an unbelievable adventure from start to finish. Being an athlete, I really enjoyed the book. I love being outside and doing adventurous things, and his life or death situation would be a rush to me. Climbing Everest would be an amazing journey, and his insight and story make me want to go out and climb right now.

This book appeals to almost anyone looking for an exciting and adventurous read. Into Thin Air has many good reviews; it is hard to find a negative outlook on the book. Climbers especially would enjoy this read; his hard work and will to survive would inspire anyone to go out and climb. Anyone with a love for sports or the mountains will enjoys this book. Life and death just hangs in between each turn of the page. By the end of the book, readers won't even want to put it down.

Keizo Yukawa, an museum curator in Japan, embarks on an intense and excruciating test when he accepts the job of head curator at a new private museum dedicated to the enigmatic artist Takenoko. As Yukawa's story unfolds, Takenoko's parallels it in the margins of this imaginative and thought-provoking work. One by one, Yukawa meets the family of Ichiro Ono, the museum owner. Each one introduces a tiny piece of the puzzle that is the Ono family history and draws Yukawa deeper into the part he has to play in the mystery.

Illustrations by L.J.C. Shimoda add an authenticity and depth to this well-researched and beautifully written book. If you're interested in Japanese culture, the question of aesthetics, or just looking for a book that diverges in a lively way from the norm, pick up this book.

A very strong book bringing us on a fast tour of modern life, 365 views draws us into the lives of many different characters, yet manages to strongly characterize each person. Each character develops and suprises. The story is intriguing, and the style also interesting. Reminiscent of Haruki Murakami.

Most writers have enough trouble managing one viewpoint throughout a novel. Meet Todd Shimoda, the brilliant author who uses three intertwined narratives to tell the story of 365 Views Of Mount Fuji.

This is a story of the conflict between tradition and desire, expectations and personal freedom. Keizo Yukawa thinks he knows what he wants, but a move to a new job in a strange new environment will make him question his goals.

The story of Yukawa is the main thread of narrative. Sidebars provide insight into the strange characters that he encounters. Beautiful, traditional illustrations in the margin are a flickering glimpse of the past and the present.

Blending the ancient world with the growing techno-society produces a mesmerizing tour through the mind of modern Japan.

I was glad to find this book, and got lots of ideas about places to go from it. It does have lots of useful information, but I found it to be lacking some very necessary details about the canyons needed to plan a hike to this area. Take a good map and call the local BLM office for details before going. I've seen people turn up on the local six o'clock news a couple of times because they got into a canyon they couldn't get out of using one of his books! Also, all distances are metric :( so be prepared to convert everything to feet and miles.

My son and I have personally hiked many of Michael Kelsey's routes as described in this book. Yes, you need to know something about hiking and route finding, Michael does not baby you along the way or remove responsibility from the hiker. But he does not overdramatize the hikes to avoid liability, and he also does not preach to his readers. What he does do extremely well is concisely give you an idea of how to get to some of the most remote, pristine, and special places in the entire world, places innaccessible merely because most people were unaware of their existence. Michael has opened the door to these places. For this I will be forever grateful.

This is the bible of Canyoneering in SE Utah. The simple maps, concise descriptions and knowledgeable tips will get you into as much trouble as you want . . . and that's why we do this, right? The park service has baned Kelsey's books from their bookstores because he "reveals too much," and they claim people "get into trouble" following his guides -- bugger to them! People can be unprepared idiots. If you read the damn book you'll realise that only trained people should be stemming up slot canyons, swimming hypothermic plunge pools and gingerly investigating delicate Anaszi ruins -- not your average hee-haws looking for a good place to swill a 12-Pack of beer. The beer swillers don't want this book, go to Lake Powell instead.