Book Description
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney gives you the inside story on how he rescued the Salt Lake City Olympics--and how his own brand of leadership makes him one of the Republican Party's most compelling new stars.
Customer Reviews:
Budget Inversion.......2007-09-04
Amazing what Mitt Romney can do with numbers. If in doubt, do without. He pulled the 2002 winter games off on a no frills budget and turned a scandal into a triumph.
It seems he gets so much grief just because he is a Mormon, but I'm amazed at what he can do and mostly impressed by his get up and go, can do attitude. His wife says he loves emergencies and crisis situations of any kind. He turns the financing of the games from a huge millions of dollars deficit into a millions of dollars profit. Throughout the whole crisis leading up to the games, he made it the mission of the whole team to be honest and forthright with each other and the public. It's blatantly apparent that he always makes an honest million and demands integrity of his team whoever they be. This book was truly inspirational in many ways. If you don't want to read the book or even hate Mitt Romney, at least read the "Prologue" and the first chapter. I love the story of the American flag from the World Trade Center bombing being brought into the Olympic stadium during opening ceremonies. It's really awesome!
There have been other budget inversions in our nation's history. The most remarkable one happened on the eve of this country's founding and was repaired by Alexander Hamilton, our nation's first Treasury Secretary. That tale is best told by Forrest McDonald in his biography of Hamilton.
These are great stories and must reads for government financiers!
Mitt Romney.......2007-09-01
I would never vote for Mitt Romney, and I hope he does not win. He is so full of himself and will lie just to get votes.
Pre-nomination Mitt..........2007-06-27
With a title like "turnaround" I was expecting Mitt to explain why he has reversed all of his positions on abortion, sexuality etc just in time for the Republican nomination.
Unfortunately not.
This book is about a simpler time when Mitt did not have to reverse or hide all of his principles in order to seek higher office. It tells the story of his rescue of the Olympic Games. It is actually quite good (although Mitt takes a LOT of the credit for things that others did). Unfortunately, it also reflects on the "old" Mitt rather than the Mitt 2.0 who is running for the nomination today...
Expect: Mitt Romney to win 2008 presidential election.......2006-12-03
Through this book, I belive in Mitt Romney. He could bring this nation together ...he has the heart and wisdom.
Another good read........2006-10-24
The Olymic Games were a mess. A succesful turnaround required, understanding of the crisis and the ability to lead the Olymics through one its toughest challenges of the second half of the 20th Century. Read about how it was done.
Book Description
One of the most extraordinary survival stories ever told -- Aron Ralston's searing account of his six days trapped in one of the most remote spots in America, and how one inspired act of bravery brought him home.
It started out as a simple hike in the Utah canyonlands on a warm Saturday afternoon. For Aron Ralston, a twenty-seven-year-old mountaineer and outdoorsman, a walk into the remote Blue John Canyon was a chance to get a break from a winter of solo climbing Colorado's highest and toughest peaks. He'd earned this weekend vacation, and though he met two charming women along the way, by early afternoon he finally found himself in his element: alone, with just the beauty of the natural world all around him.
It was 2:41 P.M. Eight miles from his truck, in a deep and narrow slot canyon, Aron was climbing down off a wedged boulder when the rock suddenly, and terrifyingly, came loose. Before he could get out of the way, the falling stone pinned his right hand and wrist against the canyon wall.
And so began six days of hell for Aron Ralston. With scant water and little food, no jacket for the painfully cold nights, and the terrible knowledge that he'd told no one where he was headed, he found himself facing a lingering death -- trapped by an 800-pound boulder 100 feet down in the bottom of a canyon. As he eliminated his escape options one by one through the days, Aron faced the full horror of his predicament: By the time any possible search and rescue effort would begin, he'd most probably have died of dehydration, if a flash flood didn't drown him before that.
What does one do in the face of almost certain death? Using the video camera from his pack, Aron began recording his grateful good-byes to his family and friends all over the country, thinking back over a life filled with adventure, and documenting a last will and testament with the hope that someone would find it. (For their part, his family and friends had instigated a major search for Aron, the amazing details of which are also documented here for the first time.) The knowledge of their love kept Aron Ralston alive, until a divine inspiration on Thursday morning solved the riddle of the boulder. Aron then committed the most extreme act imaginable to save himself.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place -- a brilliantly written, funny, honest, inspiring, and downright astonishing report from the line where death meets life -- will surely take its place in the annals of classic adventure stories.
Download Description
"One of the most extraordinary survival stories ever told -- Aron Ralston's searing account of his six days trapped in one of the most remote spots in America, and how one inspired act of bravery brought him home. It started out as a simple hike in the Utah canyonlands on a warm Saturday afternoon. For Aron Ralston, a twenty-seven-year-old mountaineer and outdoorsman, a walk into the remote Blue John Canyon was a chance to get a break from a winter of solo climbing Colorado's highest and toughest peaks. He'd earned this weekend vacation, and though he met two charming women along the way, by early afternoon he finally found himself in his element: alone, with just the beauty of the natural world all around him. It was 2:41 P.M. Eight miles from his truck, in a deep and narrow slot canyon, Aron was climbing down off a wedged boulder when the rock suddenly, and terrifyingly, came loose. Before he could get out of the way, the falling stone pinned his right hand and wrist against the canyon wall. And so began six days of hell for Aron Ralston. With scant water and little food, no jacket for the painfully cold nights, and the terrible knowledge that he'd told no one where he was headed, he found himself facing a lingering death -- trapped by an 800-pound boulder 100 feet down in the bottom of a canyon. As he eliminated his escape options one by one through the days, Aron faced the full horror of his predicament: By the time any possible search and rescue effort would begin, he'd most probably have died of dehydration, if a flash flood didn't drown him before that. What does one do in the face of almost certain death? Using the video camera from his pack, Aron began recording his grateful good-byes to his family and friends all over the country, thinking back over a life filled with adventure, and documenting a last will and testament with the hope that someone would find it. (For their part, his family and friends had instigated a major search for Aron, the amazing details of which are also documented here for the first time.) The knowledge of their love kept Aron Ralston alive, until a divine inspiration on Thursday morning solved the riddle of the boulder. Aron then committed the most extreme act imaginable to save himself. Between a Rock and a Hard Place -- a brilliantly written, funny, honest, inspiring, and downright astonishing report from the line where death meets life -- will surely take its place in the annals of classic adventure stories. "
Customer Reviews:
I have mixed feelings on this one.......2007-09-15
Aron is either very brave or irresponsible, possibly a little of both.
I give this man points for bravery and his thirst for the outdoors, but I found myself shaking my head and rolling my eyes about the things he did.
The book starts out with him stuck in the rock quite early in the book, but after the 2nd or 3rd chapter, he alternates every other chapter to his Present Stuck situation and his stories of hiking around the great outdoors.
I found myself needing to get to the end of the book so i can read about him hacking his right arm off, so the book had me wanting to keep reading. For that it was a good read.
Lessons of Aron: Don't "SHOO" off a bear, don't bring your friends skiing into a Potential Avalanche zone, and never go hiking with out telling friends and family where you are or leaving a map or note at your bike or truck so they can find you.
Oh, I almost forgot, you can drink your own urine for up to 3 days in the wild apparently...haha
I recommend this book, but barely.
Somewhat Boring .......2007-08-31
Throughout the writing, Aron Ralston constantly strays from the actual plot. The book has constant flashbacks to his past adventures become monotonous after the first few chapters. The main storyline of is entrapment was very interesting. The fact that he was able to survive for so long in the Moab desert is nothing short of a miracle. All in all I enjoyed the book, despite some boring chapters that strayed from the point.
Wasted Opportunity.......2007-07-12
The story seems compelling: an unfortunate hiker has his arm pinned by a boulder and must cut off his own arm to rescue himself. It is a terrible thing for anybody to lose part of a limb (indeed, ask any of the many Iraq War casualties), and we like to look for some positive outcome from such a loss. I read this book because I was curious what changes such an experience would cause in one's approach to life. I was left disappointed and angry.
Aron Ralston survived what should have been a life-changing experience, yet came away from it the same arrogant, self-centered boy as before. The reader hopes and prays that the tiresome egotism of the early chapters is simply a literary device, designed to set the stage for Ralston's transformation. Instead, the egotism remains the constant in his life, both before and after his accident.
Although Ralston claims to have had a revelation while pinned behind a boulder -- finally understanding it is not what you have done, but how you have lived -- this revelation is discarded the moment he survives. Once healthy again, Ralston returns to stupid, dangerous activities (e.g., solo winter ascents) with no consideration for those he loves. He has learned nothing. He was given the opportunity to make a major change in his life. He ignored the chance to mature and act responsibly, and returned to reckless behavior that only puts his family and friends at risk of heart ache.
Ralston begins his story by documenting his many stupid mistakes that almost cost him his life. He makes winter ascents of Colorado peaks without spare outer gloves. He pushes himself to the point of hallucinating, putting himself and his partner at risk. He goes solo canyoneering and mountain biking without a first aid kit. He ignores advice of a park ranger and goes hiking in inappropropriate snow conditions, and almost is attacked by a bear. He puts himself and friends at risk skiing in areas with a high risk of avalanche. Despite his supposed training in search and rescue, his ignores the first rule (always let somebody know where you are going and when you should be back). Yet, Ralston seems baffled when his mother doesn't want to hear the details of his latest in a long series of scrapes with death. Perhaps she cares about him. Perhaps she wonders why he insists on always doing things the dangerous way. Perhaps she wonders how he can do these things to her.
There are many ways to immerse one self in the great outdoors, and there are many ways to test one self. Many a young person has thought that placing themselves in life-threatening situations is the ultimate test. Luckily, most of us outgrow this stage. We start to recognize the value of life. We start to recognize the devastation that our deaths would have on our family and friends. We mature.
There are many, many skilled mountaineers in Colorado. Many have the requisite skills to complete solo winter ascents, but most forego the activity because it is stupid. There are too many variables, and the odds of dying are too high. Ralston fancies himself a Super Man because he is dumb enough to go on winter solo ascents. Despite repeated narrow escapes, it never occurs to Ralston that he is being cavalier with his life, the lives of his friends, and the emotions of his family and friends.
The baffling thing about Ralston's history is that he never matured. He had plenty of occasions for reflection, and he had friends endeavoring to change his perspective. Yet, he continued on his own little self-centered journey. He wanted to be bigger than life, no matter what the cost.
Indeed, the bizarre thoroughness of his photo-documentation of his struggle attests to his dreams of grandeur. If he lived, he was going to be famous. If he died, he was going to be a legend. Ralston would have us believe that he was fighting for his life on the hike out, yet he never even considered leaving behind his video camera and digital still camera.
At some point in Ralston's effort to show that he was the prime mover in the many good times with his friends, he recounts making fun of 1980s music. I found this ironic, in that Ralston is the embodiment of the 1980s Me Generation. It is all about Aron, without any consideration for anybody else.
Do not buy this book. To do so is to encourage a reprehensible approach to life. To do so is to reward a selfish little child. To do so is to buy into a false hero. To do so is to support the extreme of self-centeredness. To do so is to cast a foreseeable event (based on poor preparation and a belief of invincibility) as an unavoidable accident. Do not buy this book.
Mr. Ralston was given an opportunity to see the light and to mature, but squandered that chance in exchange for celebrity. If he continues with his solo winter climbing, I fear that he will eventually pay the ultimate price for his contorted self-image and lack of judgment.
Boring and pretentious.......2007-07-06
I first saw this on Dateline or 20/20, and thought what a wonderful story, that the book must be better and give us better details. Well, TV was apparently a better medium for this story, because they could edit out his pretentiousness and direct his story to more of what actually happened, rather than a stage for him to tell the world how great he is.
And even after having to drink his own piss and cutting off his arm with a pocket knife, he still hasn't learned a single lesson.
Mount of the Holy Cross.......2007-06-28
A very detailed account of what Ralston had to endure. I enjoyed his descriptions of the outings that he took up to the point of getting trapped. Even though Aron was often stupid in his choices, his love for the outdoors comes sailing out. He has a life that is envied by many and one that I have dreamed of from time to time. I especially liked when he described his ascent of the Mount of the Holy Cross. When I was in my church's high school youth group at the Branson United Methodist Church we would yearly go to Colorado in the summer for a hiking trip. The trips were my most memorable religious moments where nature and God easily fused. The high point of the trip, both in altitude and in amazement, was when we climbed to a point on an adjacent mountain to view across at the snow filled cross on the Mount of the Holy Cross. There on the granite rocks with marmots all around we would gather for a picture of our accomplishments as mere teenagers. To this day I yearn for that feeling when you are able as a human to overtake the natural boundaries. So, I understand where Aron gets his drive, though I hope not as stupid.
Product Description
A must for everyone with a Passion for the Southwest! Have you ever wanted to see with your own eyes all the beautiful locations found in coffee table books, posters and travel magazines? Do you want to see the most photogenic spots in our national parks and monuments? Do you want to visit spectacular "off the beaten track" locations outside the parks? Are you are interested in rock art and early Native American dwellings? The Photographing the Southwest guidebook series is the culmination of over twenty years experience exploring and photographing the natural landmarks of the Southwest. Volume 1 will take you to the heart of Southern Utah, home to some of the Colorado Plateaus most outstanding highlights. Beyond the National Parks of the famed Grand Circle, youll discover many hidden locations of Red Rock Country as well as Indian rock art and cliff dwellings. The book also makes a quick side trip into Northeastern Utah to explore the remote area around Dinosaur National Monument. Enough for weeks of new discoveries in the area! 320 pages of great information for everyone; no need to be a photographer 240+ full color photographs, to previsualize most of the sites Major upgrade of highly-praised 1st edition; entirely rewritten, many new locations Hundreds of locations, including the best spots and how to get there All the major national parks, monuments and state parks Clear and precise directions provided for seldom seen and hard-to-find sites Lots of travel tips not usually found in traditional guidebooks Where, when and how to get the best shots Valuable tips on composition, exposure and hard-to-shoot scenery Comprehensive ratings for each location (interest, difficulty, etc.)
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-07-16
We used this throughout our vacation. Especially helpful were the road and trail ratings. We found them to be very true to our own experiences. This was by far the most helpful guide we had... even if you can't be everywhere for the 'golden hour' of photography.
Fantastic Book!.......2007-06-27
Not much more to add than has already been said. This book is great. If you are traveling to southern Utah - get it!
Highly recommended.......2007-06-09
I bought all three books from the series Photographing the Southwest by author Laurent Martres. I'm preparing for 2 weeks trip to USA next year. I found these books very useful. All provide very valuable information about the best time and conditions for all the people having passion for taking fotographs at most famous places all over Southwest. Simply must have.
Not just for photographers; scenic drives and hikes.......2007-05-30
This set of guides contains just the right amount of information to selectively choose your next Southwest driving or hiking destination:
1. Full color pictures of destinations
2. A rating system for the scenic value of the destination and hiking and driving difficulty getting there
3. An appropriate level of description, including directions
4. An overview map showing the destinations
I highly enjoyed my previous visit to Southern Utah, but found it hard to know where to go with the limited time I had. Now armed with this series of books, I am prepared to make the best of my next trip. Of course, you will need road maps and trail maps, but the author mentions several great resources for these as well, some of which I was not aware of. Thanks to the author for putting together these great resources!
Photographing the Southwest: Volume 1--Southern Utah (2nd ed.).......2007-04-13
This is a great book for photographers looking for the best places to photograph in Utah. It tells you which sites are the best, best angles to shoot, the focal length to use and best time of day to make the shot. The book tells you how to get to each site and how long it takes to get there. It is loaded with very nice photos. It gets you very excited about going to Utah and photographing the different sites.
Average customer rating:
- Nothing Unnatural About It; It's Sacred
- This verse unlocks the heart.
- If you have been affected by cancer it is worth reading!!!
- Suprising turn of events
- Disappointed
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Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place
Terry Tempest Williams
Manufacturer: Vintage
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Similar Items:
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The Open Space of Democracy (New Patriotism)
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Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert
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Desert Solitaire
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An Unspoken Hunger: Stories from the Field
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Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (Harper Perrennial Modern Classics)
ASIN: 0679740244
Release Date: 1992-09-01 |
Amazon.com
The only constants in nature are change and death. Terry Tempest Williams, a naturalist and writer from northern Utah, has seen her share of both. The pages of Refuge resound with the deaths of her mother and grandmother and other women from cancer, the result of the American government's ongoing nuclear-weapons tests in the nearby Nevada desert. You won't find the episode in the standard history textbooks; the Feds wouldn't admit to conducting the tests until women and men in Utah, Nevada, and northwestern Arizona took the matter to court in the mid-1980s, and by then thousands of Americans had fallen victim to official technology. Parallel to her account of this devastation, Williams describes changes in bird life at the sanctuaries dotting the shores of the Great Salt Lake as water levels rose during the unusually wet early 1980s and threatened the nesting grounds of dozens of species. In this world of shattered eggs and drowned shorebirds, Williams reckons with the meaning of life, alternating despair and joy.
Book Description
In the spring of 1983 Terry Tempest Williams learned that her mother was dying of cancer. That same season, The Great Salt Lake began to rise to record heights, threatening the herons, owls, and snowy egrets that Williams, a poet and naturalist, had come to gauge her life by. One event was nature at its most random, the other a by-product of rogue technology: Terry's mother, and Terry herself, had been exposed to the fallout of atomic bomb tests in the 1950s. As it interweaves these narratives of dying and accommodation,
Refuge transforms tragedy into a document of renewal and spiritual grace, resulting in a work that has become a classic.
Customer Reviews:
Nothing Unnatural About It; It's Sacred.......2006-10-28
The first time I went to Utah, I read Edward Abbey's "Desert Solitaire" and loved it. This time, at a bookstore in Moab, I picked up Williams' "Red" for a contemporary view of the ecological issues around this gorgeous desert landscape, which is unlike any place I have been. Although I liked "Red," people told me "Refuge" was even better.
This is a very special book. I'm no birdwatcher, but it made me want to be. I'm no scientist, but I wished I were. I'm no Mormon, but it gave me respect for a religion I have never been able to fathom. Terry Tempest Williams has profound insights into the natural world. Her observations of the Great Salt Lake and the many migratory birds that visit it are as moving as her account of the death by cancer of her mother and grandmothers. Not surprisingly, they taught Williams awe of birds and sunsets and their own bodies. All of them are brave and spiritual women, and we would be wise to learn from them.
I think what I most admire about Williams as a writer is her emotional courage. Time and time again, she strikes out where more conventional writers would hesitate. She finds redeeming passages from the Book of Mormon. She follows her mother through her long and circuitous spiritual journey with cancer. She follows her grandmother as she moves into Eastern thought and modern physics. She dips respectfully into ancient Indian and Mexican culture. She walks in the desert at some peril to her well-being. She speaks of the intimacy of her marriage and about her decision not to bear children.
Yet his is not a book "about" the desert or cancer or birds or Mormonism, but about life and how it can be richly observed, experienced. shared and redeemed. It's one brave woman's answer to "Desert Solitaire."
This verse unlocks the heart........2006-10-16
Terry Tempest Williams is a national treasure. Her unvarnished verse carries one deep into the mystery of the Earth and sends us helplessly into the depths of our own hearts. The landscape of wildness breaths a spectacular wisdom under the watchful eyes of this keen observer of wind, rock, desert, sky, sage, along with the birds who soar and dance and play in a benediction to non-sentient life.
When I need to recapture my own mortality along with my own humility, I always return to the verse of this elder of silence and truth. Williams stands alone in the power to convey both outer and inner wildness. Her verse is poetic and healing. One does not read these words but are instead initiated into the heart beat of wild nature. Savor its beauty as you might a calming sunset or a wind swept sea shore calling you ever deeper into your own soul.
Read everything she writes and find peace deep within.
If you have been affected by cancer it is worth reading!!!.......2006-06-26
I loved and hated this book. It is beatifully written. I found the author frustrating at times. Some parts got a little long winded about the birds. It takes you on a emotional rollercoaster but the pay off of finishing this book is worth it. Any one who has been affected by cancer will find this book very inciteful to the process of going through treatment and also the death process. Terry Tempest gives the most authentic and honest account of what life is like living through cancer I have every read. She put into words thought and feelings I could never express fully.
The research of the history of the Great Salt Lake was very fun to read about. I have lived in Utah all my life, but I have never been to the Lake I now am very curious to see it and the bird refuge. I think I will find the trip much more interesting now than if I had gone before reading this book.
Suprising turn of events.......2006-03-02
Terry Tempest Williams is a naturalist living in Utah who has the history of cancer in her family. Cancer in this novel is paralleled with the flooding of the neighboring Great Salt Lake. Overall this book goes to show that cancer goes deeper than the person who it is diagnosed to. I would suggest this book on limited circumstances: One-if you can get past the strong feminine presence and domination of this novel. Two-do not read the last 60 or so pages. I approved of this book up until that point. If the book ended at that point, leaving out the harassment of the government it would be ten times better. To anyone who is in the process of reading Refuge, you won't want to read past around page 230. Enough said.
My rating(first 230 or so pages): 7.5/10
My rating(after page 230 or so) 2.5/10
Disappointed.......2006-02-03
Although I found the passages about Ms. Williams relationships with her mother and grandmother and their struggles with cancer to be well-written and moving, I am surprised that she and many other reviewers imply that the cancers were the consequences of nuclear testing. I think of myself as an environmentalist, and I believe that such testing is likely to have been harmful to human health; however, the striking family history of breast and ovarian cancer in this case strongly suggests that there is a genetic disorder (mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene) that was responsible for the cancer in these women. I was living in Salt Lake City during the spring of 1983, and the flooding was indeed dramatic, but I was bored by the rather repetitious descriptions of the refuge and the birds.
Product Description
The first choice of outdoors enthusiasts. Beautiful, detailed, large-format maps of every state. Perfect for home and office reference, and a must for all your vehicles. Gazetteer information may include: campgrounds, attractions, historic sites & museums, recreation areas, trails, freshwater fishing site & boat launches, canoe trips or scenic drives. Categories vary by state
Customer Reviews:
Utah Gazatteer.......2007-07-05
Great maps as always from DeLorme.. I have 6 different states, great for fly fishing, fishing and hiking.. You can use the GPS cordinates to get to specific locations. A must have for the fisherman, hiker and camper.
Great product.......2007-06-02
I think the title says it all. It is very useful. I got it really fast and it is flawless.
I love these DeLorme maps.......2007-04-23
I love these DeLorme maps. I love traveling in the West but since I live in New Jersey, I get a little nervous sometimes when driving around Utah or Arizona - it's just so empty compared to what I'm used to. These Delorme atlases are my security blanket. They're so detailed that no matter where I am, I can look at the map and find a road or a landmark that will reassure me that I'm in the right place.
New Style OK But Not Great.......2005-08-03
I have been a huge fan of DeLorme State Atlas and Gazetteer books for 20+ years. I will never plan a trip without one. I find them absolutely indispensable and have them with me on any car trip, period. I do however have a preference for the older style of mapping used on the earlier editions. I used to own an old Utah Atlas and Gazetteer and much preferred it to the new one. The enhanced topo information and colorations are neat but the actual road mappings have a new style that are annoying to me. It is much harder with longer dashed lines for unimproved roads to determine whether the road intersects another one. Anyone who does backroading in Utah knows that when a road is near another on the map does not mean they intersect. One road could be 1000 feet below another and both will dead-end. It is not fun to plan a trip not being sure whether your road goes through. Although I still like the maps, I feel the need to have another topo source for backroads. I wish DeLorme would update their Atlas and Gazeteers in the old format rather than the 'slick' newer style.
Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona... Great places for these.......2003-09-18
I have several of these of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Duplicates of each... one in the house for planning and study, one in the truck. Occasionally I rotate them so they don't wear out too quickly. I gave Delorme top billing in my Desert Emergency Survival Basics book, but you don't need a desert and you don't need an emergency to need a delorme atlas. Any rural area in the United States is probably covered by them.
If you spend a lot of time in the back country these maps are the best alternative, from my point of view. It's true the maps don't have labels on the back country cow trails another reviewer complained of. The fact is, neither do the roads. But it's often helpful when you come to the fork in a dirt two-track and they both wander off a few degrees off North, to be able to crack open the Delorme and discover the one on the left plays out just over that hill over there at a windmill. There's no excuse for needing labels these days. A compass and Delorme will allow you to locate yourself in most instances.
However, even the back woods purist ought to own a GPS. I've been wandering around the back woods longer than most readers of this have been alive. I rarely get lost, but I frequently don't know exactly where I am. Occasionally my old TrailBlazer saved me a lot of walking to get back to the truck. Once it saved my life in a snowstorm, I imagine.
For motor traveling you'll cover too much ground to allow the 7.5 minute maps to help much. You pass from one map to the next too quickly. When you are afoot a couple of them become useful. Meanwhile, I use Delorme as one of the ways to keep track of my wanderings. I recommend them wherever you are. And a GPS, as well.
Book Description
Contains detailed descriptions of the jeep roads and hiking trails in Utah's largest national park, including instructions on how to find the park's indian ruins, cowboy cabins, and other points of interest. This book is profusely illustrated with 240 color and black & white photographs and 59 detailed trail maps. It also contains a primer on the park's geology.
Customer Reviews:
indispensable!.......2007-05-24
The official NPS maps and guide-books are very lame, mostly because of the fear that ancient ruins and art could be vandalized. This book is therefore indispensable to a truly fulfilling visit to Canyonlands. The maps and directions are perfect--just enough detail to be clear and to keep you from getting lost, but they don't deprive you of feeling like you're actually doing some exploring and route-finding.
Canyonlands Bible.......2007-05-19
This is really the only good guide book I have found on Canyonlands National Park. It describes in great detail many trails that arn't even mentioned in the Falcon Guide. It also has a great color section, and its maps are much better than the other books. For some reason the Nat. Park Visitor Centers don't sell this book (maybe it has too much info about things they want to keep secret?), so you better get it before you start your trip!
This book is fantastic!.......2005-04-22
Canyonlands is a wild and wonderful place to explore. I would have been lost without this book. I was able to decide ahead of time what areas of the park I wanted to spend the most time in by reading the detailed descriptions of jeep roads and trails. The beautiful color photographs helped me make decisions as well. I found the maps to be extremely helpful and the estimated travel times to be very accurate. David Day knows his stuff!
Something new in Hiking Books.......2004-09-08
This is a Great book for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. By including a focus on the jeep roads of the Canyonlands area David Day has provided the hiker with information necessary for access to its fantastic hiking trails. The format is similar to his other hiking books. The maps and trail descriptions and commentary are not only helpful but very interesting. The photography is great. I particularly enjoyed the section of color photos I like his trail overview which includes a rating of his enjoyment of the trail.
I've made a couple of the hikes he writes up and with the help of his book I will be doing more.
Book Description
Master gardeners at Temple Square share in this book their expertise in desigining, planting, fertilizing, and maintaining beautiful lawns and gardens. Full of practical advice to simplify the job, beautiful photographs to provide inspiration, and colorful drawings to help re-create the perfect look, this gorgeous book will guide you to the garden of your dreams.
Included is a special section on bulbs, a primer on gardening basics by Larry Sagers of KSL Greenhouse Show, and lists favorite flowers and shrubs compiled by the Temple Square gardeners.
Simple instructions from the pros teach you all you need to know about caring for a beautiful garden in each season of the year. With a wealth of landscaping ideas, this user-friendly guide contains tips for planning and preparing your garden and suggestions for selecting and growing a variety of plants. Temple Square Gardening is the perfect sourcebook for turning your home garden into a work of art.
Book Description
This comprehensive guide presents, in words and photographs, the very best hiking opportunities Utah has to offer. Some of the trails wind through deep redrock canyons, while others climb lofty snow-covered peaks. Visit a 700-year-old Anasazi cliff dwelling on the Colorado Plateau or discover a pristine alpine lake in the Uinta Mountains. About half of the hikes can be completed in one day, but many take more time-they range in length from 4.5 miles to 33.5 miles. Over 250 color and black & white photographs and 80 detailed trail maps are included to help you choose the adventure that is right for you!
Customer Reviews:
Utah's Favorite Hiking Trails.......2006-07-04
This book is a fabulous review of Utah's excellent hiking opportunities. It is informative and stimulating!
Bad Maps.......2005-08-30
I've used this book extensively for climbing Utah trails. Though the book contains rich content, I would have expected it to include more information about alternative routes. For example, it only includes information on one (the longest) route up Mt. Nebo.
Secondly, the maps are inaccurate. I'm a seasoned climber and found the maps for Nebo and Kings Peak to not be accurate and not drawn to scale. We ended up getting lost on Kings as a result of using his maps.
Overall, the book is pretty good and perhaps the best available on the market. However, the map accuracy leaves a lot to be desired.
This book has it all..........2002-10-10
great descriptions of the hike, recommendations on best seasons, really good maps, wonderful colour photographs, comprehensive driving directions and easy USGS quad map referenes - could it even be better than the incredible California Hiking? I bought Canyoneering the San Rafael Swell as well, and am sending it back because this book covers what I need in a much easier to read style - and is less likely to get me killed en route while rock climbing without a belay. Highly recommended.
WHO KNEW!.......2002-01-27
Who knew there were so many great hikes local to the Wasatch Front? And it gets better than that, this book has a hike for every season and every day of the year. From easy to difficult, senic to exercisic, you'll never get bored in Utah again. This book offers some of the tradional hikes Utah is know for plus many hidden treasures. At first I was a bit overwhelmed and didn't know where to start. There were so many interesting sites I wanted to do them all. Having done quite a few now I can't wait to do more. And you'll never get tired of the views, you can do your favorites hikes again and again, try one in summer and in winter. The book als has great descriptions of the plants and animals native to the area. So take it along and lean about your suroundings in a quite medow or under a shade tree. A must for the hiking enthusiest!
A wealth of valuable information.......1999-10-17
Anyone intending to do any amount of hiking in Utah, whether it be for a day or an overnight trip, will find David Days' "Utah's Favorite Hiking Trails" an invaluable source of information! The layout and design of the book aids in pre-trip planning. Included are detailed trail maps for each hike, an extensive index, a rating of each hike by the author and a clear and definitive description of the route of the trail. Along with the maps and numerous black and white pictures, the author includes two multi-page groups of color photographs of the areas listed in the Guide. My wife and I found these to be very motivational and inspiring and are looking forward to our return trip to Utah to visit many of the areas Mr. Day lists in his book. I have seen and used many trail guides over the years and find "Utah's Favorite Hiking Trails" to be among the best and would highly recommend it to anyone planning a trip to Utah.
Book Description
The author of the controversial bestseller Brain Trust brings his scientific expertise to the chilling true story of unexplained phenomena on Utah's Skinwalker Ranch -- and challenges us with a new vision of reality.
For more than fifty years, the bizarre events at a remote Utah ranch have ranged from the perplexing to the wholly terrifying. Vanishing and mutilated cattle. Unidentified Flying Objects. The appearance of huge, otherworldly creatures. Invisible objects emitting magnetic fields with the power to spark a cattle stampede. Flying orbs of light with dazzling maneuverability and lethal consequences. For one family, life on the Skinwalker Ranch had become a life under siege by an unknown enemy or enemies. Nothing else could explain the horrors that surrounded them -- perhaps science could.
Leading a first-class team of research scientists on a disturbing odyssey into the unknown, Colm Kelleher spent hundreds of days and nights on the Skinwalker property and experienced firsthand many of its haunting mysteries. With investigative reporter George Knapp -- the only journalist allowed to witness and document the team's work -- Kelleher chronicles in superb detail the spectacular happenings the team observed personally, and the theories of modern physics behind the phenomena. Far from the coldly detached findings one might expect, their conclusions are utterly hair-raising in their implications. Opening a door to the unseen world around us, Hunt for the Skinwalker is a clarion call to expand our vision far beyond what we know.
Download Description
The author of the controversial bestseller Brain Trust brings his scientific expertise to the chilling true story of unexplained phenomena on Utah's Skinwalker Ranch -- and challenges us with a new vision of reality.
Customer Reviews:
Hunt for the Skinwalker.......2007-09-09
In very descriptive and good prose with substantial evidence behind him, Kelleher has written of several extraterrestrial races that scare the hell out of me. If we ever have to deal with these beings as a race, our civilization may very well collapse. We have no in depth information about the science and technology that these beings have mastered and could end up being a subjugated race. It will be a miracle if we survive, as a race.
Paranormal Goes Scientific.......2007-07-26
Based upon my information and belief a billionaire Las Vegas mogul has funded research for an area in Utah where some paranormal events ha
been transpiring for some time. Thi man's name is Bigelow. Many people dismiss the Paranormal with the statement that just because paranormal events occur its because we just have not been able to explain this. This is begging the question....a scientist tries to figure out why these things are happening. Mr. Bigelow also funded a chair at the University of Las Vegas to study paranormal activity. Many people state that the book has no pictures of these events...well a meeting will be held in Las Vegas with photographs. I am looking forward to attending this meeting. I was going to wait until I attended this meeting but I had to give the book 4 stars as there were no photographs of these events. I attended the first meeting with Mr. Knapp and I got the impression that the scientists investigating wished to keep a low profile. Perhaps I will edit my review when I attend the second meeting with Mr. Knapp.
Lifted Up Only to be Letdown.......2007-07-17
First third of book a real page-turner as weird and downright creepy events on the Utah ranch are described in all their inexplicable. spine-tingling horror! This section is all a person could ask for, and deals with high strangeness.
After going over events at the Utah ranch in detail, the theme begins to wander. Aimless chapter-chaff on Sasquatch, other ranches, 'retread' hypotheses you've heard a hundred times before, and other 'blah-blah-blah' boring stuff thrown in to make up a book-sized tale. Real, real boring after a while. Finally had to force myself to keep reading.
All that said, the first part can't be beat for a good read!
Science and the Skinwalker.......2007-07-08
After having read Dr. Colm Kelleher's Hunt for the Skinwalker, it becomes obvious why science cannot investigate the paranormal. The "paranormal" is simply that which does not operate according to known principles, as if isolated tribes of bushmen were confronted with a butane cigarette lighter. They would not know about compressed gases that could burn, or a tiny piece of flint producing sparks, or that they could be in such a compact package. The cigarette lighter would be "paranormal" to them, and they would have to learn unknown principles before they could come up with a non-supernatural explanation of it.
There are, therefore, quite logical reasons why some investigators do not want to consider any explanation for Bigfoot other than "it is simply an unknown apelike creature." Any other explanation is not acceptable to what those investigators call "science," since science is thought to be a discipline that provides natural explanations for phenomena. With that definition of science, of course Bigfoot has to be an unknown apelike creature, and any evidence that shows otherwise has to be disregarded as a misunderstanding or hoax.
This is the same problem as found in the creation-evolution debate. Evolution is the only acceptable explanation in what some investigators call "science," namely, providing natural explanations for phenomena. In this case the phenomenon is the existence of life on earth. Explanations that allow the possibility of some unknown factor in the development of life on earth must be disregarded, if you accept this definition of science.
The Skinwalker phenomena provide us knowledge of an additional dimension. They appear to have been produced by an intelligence that was smarter than humans. They have this in common with the Bigfoot and UFO abduction phenomena, as well as the "origin and development of life" phenomenon. This suggests that these phenomena may not yield to human understanding without superhuman effort. The Skinwalker experience confirms this. It defied all attempts to categorize and understand it.
As a matter of fact, this is our experience with nature, if you think of it. It is well said that nature does not give up her secrets easily. All of the efforts to harness nature have required great effort by many very intelligent humans. Think of flight and nuclear power, which were only made human servants to some degree in the last century, and no doubt there is still much to know.
Natural explanations for phenomena, however, are not all that there is to science. The highest calling of science is to investigate the unknown, even if new principles of the universe have to be found before phenomena can be explained. Materialist mythololgy is not science. The true scientist must bravely face the unknown, and not pretend that known principles account for that which is clearly unknown. That is what Dr. Kelleher and George Knapp have done here.
Studying phenomena that appear to be irrational is the only way of understanding what is happening. Just because they do not yield to present understanding does not mean that they never will, but it is necessary to frankly face the fact that we do not understand them. If there are ways to overcome gravity, or turn off its effects for an aircraft, or overcome the Laws of Relativity, we will not find them by timidly hiding from the unknown. If we grasp this principle, we will find ourselves in the beginning of an ability to understand the world far beyond what we have ever known, even in the 20th century.
We really do not fully know the explanation of a phenomenon until we can reproduce it. We cannot reproduce gravity, for instance, because we don't know how it is produced, or even what form it takes. But it is at least predictable, so it can be studied and expected to operate according to rules we can understand. The Skinwalker phenomena are not predictable, and seem to be produced by an intelligent force that actively tries to keep us from understanding it.
Methods of defeating and harnessing this intelligent force may be possible, but perhaps not by the methods of science. We may have to face this possibility and meet the challenge posed before we can take the next step into the future. But first we have to overcome the hindrance to progress that is evident in the mistaking of materialist mythology for science. This book is an important step in that direction.
Worthless bit of trash.......2007-07-07
Kelleher and Knapp write about events that take place on a ranch in Utah. Everyone in the in book is an alias. In this age of the internet, it is now easy to verify most stories. This makes verifying the accounts in the book impossible. The authors tell of strange events that were witnessed and recorded on the ranch by NIDS team,yet fail to print any photographic evidence in the book.
The shoddy investigation work that is detailed along with listing everyone as an alias and lack of photograpic evidence leads me to wonder if anything is really happening on the rance at all.
Average customer rating:
- Good but not great
- Very Good Hiking Guide
- 50 BEST SHORT HIKES IN UTAH'S NATIONAL PARKS
- 50 Best Short Hikes in Utah's National Parks
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50 Best Short Hikes in Utah's National Parks: Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands (50 Best Short Hikes)
Ron Adkison
Manufacturer: Wilderness Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Bryce Canyon & Zion National Parks
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Similar Items:
-
Utah's National Parks: Hiking, Camping, and Vacationing in Utah's Canyon Country : Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands
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Hiking Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, 2nd (Regional Hiking Series)
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Lonely Planet Zion & Bryce Canyon: National Parks (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
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Frommer's Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks (Park Guides)
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Scenic Driving Utah, 2nd (Scenic Driving Series)
Accessories:
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Rayovac SPHLTLED 3-in-1 LED Head-Lite
ASIN: 0899972608 |
Customer Reviews:
Good but not great.......2007-05-07
I bought this book because I was looking for short hikes for our family with elementary-aged children in all the titled Utah Nat'l parks. It does do a good job of describing the hikes in very great detail, how to get to the trail head, etc. Each hike is rated according to it's difficulty and child-friendliness and length of time to complete. This is all very good and helpful. However, I discovered after the fact that most of this same information is available on the National Park Service website and the brochure available for free at the visitor center, including some that aren't in the book.
Very Good Hiking Guide.......2007-03-13
I purchased this book prior to a trip to Zion and Bryce National Parks. I've read a number of hiking guides before and found this one particularly helpful. The author gives excellent details both on the difficulty of the hike and what you can expect to see. After hiking most of the trails in both parks, I can vouch for the accuracy of the guide and found the information very useful.
The sole drawback is the lack of color photos which would add far more impact to these descriptions. This is a common failing of this type of book but it a shortcoming even so.
50 BEST SHORT HIKES IN UTAH'S NATIONAL PARKS.......2007-03-05
There is so much information you'll need for day hiking in Utah's National Parks.It tells you what the best seasons are for the hikes,distances,elevation gains,difficulty ratings and average hiking times.It's a fun,well organized,easy to read book with lots of nice pictures and maps.It's a great book and for a great price!!!One of the best!!!
50 Best Short Hikes in Utah's National Parks.......2005-09-24
Great book!! Had excellant descriptions, difficult ratings and pertinent info. A must for hiking in Utah's National Parks
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