Dragon's Gate (Golden Mountain Chronicles, 1867)

Book Description

In 1867, Otter travels from Three Willows Village in China to California -- the Land of the Golden Mountain. There he will join his father and uncle.

In spite of the presence of family, Otter is a stranger among the other Chinese in this new land. And where he expected to see a land of goldfields, he sees only vast, cold whiteness. But Otter's dream is to learn all he can, take the technology back to the Middle Kingdom, and free China from the Manchu invaders.

Otter and the others board a machine that will change his life -- a train for which he would open the Dragon's Gate.

Customer Reviews:

Discovery and Adventure in the Dragon's Gate.......2007-10-10

The Chinese culture has always been fascinated by dragons. They have many sculptures, drawings and stories about dragons. The book Dragon Keeper is no exception. It is about a slave girl who befriends a dragon and goes out on a quest to get to a mystical place called Ocean.

The story starts with a lowly slave girl living on a mountain in the far borders of the Han Empire (which was the ruling force back then in China.) The girl lives with the Imperial Dragon Keeper, her master, Lan. It was Lan's job to take care of the imperial dragons, but he got lazy and the slave girl took his job and took care of the beasts. Then, when one of the two last dragons die, the girl feels remorse and starts to take better care of the last one. Then, one day, the girl is forced to escape with the dragon, when an evil dragon hunter finds her and the dragon out.

During the long journey to Ocean, the girl learns her name, befriends people (who turn into her enemies), and fights villains. The book was very enjoyable because of its excitement when you didn't know what was going to happen next. The riddles sometimes go unsolved in the book, which I really didn't like, but if you do solve them it makes you want to read it more. Over all, the book was pretty good, and if you like dragons or the Chinese culture, you should get the book. Dragon Keeper had many mysteries and surprises around every corner, so stay close to the dragons, but keep away from the tigers.

worst book i have ever read!.......2006-11-28

This book is officialy the most boring and worst book that i have ever read. I didnt find any part of this book exciting or good. The whole thing was boring. I had to read this book for school with a group of 5 or 6 other people. Every single person in the group hated the book. I hated this book.

Nourhan's Review.......2006-04-30

Dragon's Gate is a truly enlightening book that I have had the pleasure of reading. Both the plot and the excellently mastered figurative language in this novel make it a great book to read. Laurence Yep has beyond the doubt mastered the art of personification, transforming inanimate objects into living and breathing things. Although figurative language is a valuable asset to any story, it alone cannot alone create a page turner. That's where an elaborately planned out storyline based on non-fictional information and events that occurred in history play a major role. This gives a flavor of reality to the story making it all the more enjoyable.

Laurence Yep begins off his novel by sweeping the reader away into the exotic orients of a land known as the Middle Kingdom (now known as China). We look through the eyes of a wealthy young man with what some may consider a dark past. An outcast at his own home, Otter truly seeks acceptance and struggles to find his own identity in a world built on racial discrimination. We follow Otter through the darkest and brightest of days and gradually grow close to this novel's protagonist as we find that we can relate to him in many different ways. This is the main reason I that I (personally) found this novel so compelling.

I would recommend this book to readers with exceptional reading skills (grade 6 and up) in order to really appreciate the excellent figurative language used in the story. I would also recommend this book to people who are unfamiliar to the abuse and mistreatment that the Chinese faced while building the transcontinental railroad. I think this book is great the way it is and would not change a single word in it for I think everybody would enjoy it the way it is.

Dragon's Gate - An Image of Poetry.......2006-04-30

Dragon's Gate is a very well written book that includes varying sensations that range from love to hate and from frustration to pride. Through this book you become conscious of many things that you would have disregarded if this book were not written. This book gives you a clear understanding of the hardships and discrimination faced by Chinese workers whilst building the railroad. The author, Laurence Yep's use of figurative language is what I like most about this book. He makes inanimate objects come alive through personification. At one point in the story, he calls the cold a living thing and has it snatch the warmth from one of his characters' bodies. Yep compares different things in an almost poetic manner. He compares the wooden bunks on a ship to coffins and another line from the book is: `...I saw him like a black shadow within the swirling snow.' I also like the way Yep uses Chinese superstitions in his book. These Chinese sayings make it easier for you (the reader) to connect with the characters in the book, as they are Chinese.
| would recommend this book to people between the ages of 10 and 16. I believe that people older than 16 will find this book really boring because this book is written at a Middle School level. Children under the age of 10 however will not be able to understand the depth of the book and they may not understand the concept of discrimination - a concept which is crucial for the text. In my opinion, the book is great just as it is and any changes may ruin the book.

Dragon Gate - A Clash of Cultures.......2006-04-30

Dragon Gate is a heartbreaking story about a young Chinese boy's life America. Otter had to move to America after he got into some trouble in China, and worked on the railroad during the industrial revolution. This compelling story is about the hardships, clash of cultures, and discrimination that Otter had to deal with. It is a deeply moving story that I enjoyed immensely. It is a story that many people can relate to, which is why I encourage that it should be read. The themes and lessons in this book are very poignant, and relate to everyone on some level. The Characters are very life like and seem almost like real people, and you start to see a little of yourself in Otter. You can't help but put yourself in the characters shoes, and imagine what you would have done in their place. The words and descriptions pull you into the story and make you feel as if you were there; going through every thing Otter was going through.

I would recommend this book to anyone above middle school level and to teenagers especially. Older readers can identify more with the feelings of change, loss, and not fitting in that Otter goes through. At one point in our lives we all have an idol that we try to emulate, and sometimes when that idol does not live up to are high standards we feel let down and betrayed. Otter goes through these feelings with his Uncle Foxfire, and the story makes you realize that our idols are only people and that we should allow them to make mistakes. Even though the book seems simple it is the hidden messages in it that make it such a good read. The story teaches us the lesson of forgiveness, of standing up for what you believe in, but it also enlightens us that it is okay to be scared and make mistakes along the way.

Average customer rating:

I remember reading this book in junior high.
Mind Enslavement
Patrick Micheal Dawson's Book Reveiw
The White Mountains
The White Mountains

The White Mountains
John Christopher
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0689856725

Book Description

35th Anniversary Editon with new Text and a New Preface by the Author!

Long ago, the Tripods -- huge, three-legged machines -- descended upon Earth and took control. Now people unquestioningly accept the Tripods' power. They have no control over their thoughts or their lives.

But for a brief time in each persson's life -- in childhood -- he is not a slave. For Will his time of freedom is about to end -- unless he can escape to the White Mountains, where the possibility of freedom still exists.

Customer Reviews:

I remember reading this book in junior high........2007-09-07

I'm very happy to see that this entire "White Mountains" trilogy is still in print. I remember reading this in my early teen years, and how much I enjoyed it. Even then, I knew it was inspired by The War of the Worlds, but it creates an entirely different narrative around the "tripod" invasion and take-over of Earth. I enjoyed the entire trilogy. A great choice for the young sci-fi fan.

Mind Enslavement.......2007-08-02

You're only free to think and feel the way you like until you're 14 and ready for adulthood. Then you must be "capped" (and controlled) by the ruling, mysterious, and god-like Tripods. This is the story of Will, Henry and Beanpole in their dangerous and desperate adventure to escape the enslavement of capping. A gripping story. A Non-Workbook, Non-Textbook Approach to Teaching Language Arts: Grades 4 Through 8 and Up

[Science fiction suitable for the intermediate and junior high grades, if not beyond.]

Patrick Micheal Dawson's Book Reveiw.......2006-10-25

This story is about a kid named William who starts a journey to find the White Mountains a place were men are free from the tripods, a unknown species of giant three leged metal creatures that have taken over the world! When he tries to sneak out he is caught by his curios cousin (who's mom has just died). His cousin decides to go with him ,so they travle to the ocean where they meat Captin Curtis who takes them across the ocean. There they meat up with a boy named Zahn Phole, but they nick name him Bean Pole. Then they start there dangerous journey across the world to the White Mountains!
Will they ever make it?
Find out by purchising this book!

The White Mountains.......2006-10-24

(Science Fiction)

The White Mountains is about three boys who know the secret of being Capped. When you're Capped, aliens known as Tripods take you on your thirteenth birthday and shave your head to then apply a wiry mesh of metal that is welded deeply through all the layers of your skin and then through your skull to just gently reach the brain. What this does is let the Tripods control their minds and ultimately make the humans their slaves. So you can't ask a Capped what it's like to be Capped because the Tripods will make them say "it's just wonderful!" And now one knows this all of this except three boys and a village hidden from all the quiet chaos: The White Mountains, where all is free and no one is Capped. Join Will, Henry and Jean-Paul during their amazing journey to the White Mountains.

What I loved about John Christopher's writing was that there was never a dull moment. The boys were always doing something worth the reader's attention let it be stealing food from locals or escaping encounters with Tripods and risking everything. This was definitely a great book and a page-turner.

The White Mountains.......2006-10-24

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Digging Up Dinosaurs with Jack Horner
Jack Horner
Manufacturer: Farcountry Explorer Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560373962
Release Date: 2007-03-15

Product Description

Digging Up Dinosaurs, by world-renowned paleontologist Jack Horner. Written for kids ages eight to twelve, Digging Up Dinosaurs is chock full of fun and fascinating information about fossils in Montana, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Horner takes kids along on the dig, explaining step by step how fossils are formed, the best places to find them, what it takes to get them out of the ground, and what the fossils tell us about the dinosaurs that roamed the Rocky Mountain states and the Dakotas. We even get to look back in time at what the region looked like during the Mesozoic Era and what dinosaurs ruled in what are now Montana, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Halfway Up the Mountain: The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment

Average customer rating:

Fantastic book for those who have been involved in spritual communities
Some problems, but helped me a lot
liked it
Mystification of the obvious
Sloppy logic?

Halfway Up the Mountain: The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment
Mariana Caplan
Manufacturer: Hohm Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0934252912

Amazon.com

"Fool's gold exists because there is real gold," coined Rumi. Here author and anthropologist Mariana Caplan herself extracts valuable nuggets from the writings of spiritual masters, both ancient and contemporary, as well as personal interviews with more than 30 esteemed masters, spiritual practitioners, and scholars and psychologists such as Andrew Cohen, Claudio Naranjo, and Robert Svoboda. Contending that "the present condition of contemporary spirituality in the West is one of grave distortion, confusion, fraud, and a fundamental lack of education," Caplan sets out to correct this situation by encouraging seekers to carefully examine the ideas--and ideals--of the spiritual teachers with whom they are involved. The introduction by Fleet Maull, a lay monk in the Zen Peacemaker Order and founder of the National Prison Hospice Project, alone makes this worth reading. --Randall Cohan

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic book for those who have been involved in spritual communities.......2007-04-24

This book is extrememly helpful for those have been hurt within a spiritual community or for those who are currently involved in one.
It is a must for anyone who is being put into a teaching position; i.e. all the growing spiritual movements especially in california.
This book has an amazing section on transference with students. It is a more psychologically sophistaced book in my opinion not meant for idealists who are still new and wide eyed on the path, nor for intellectuals with control issues such as the above reviewers who would never think to humble themselves to work with a teacher within a spiritual community. Much can be gained by working with a teacher but it is always a risk. One that has been worth it for me fortunately. However, as a therapist I have worked also with many people who have been damaged within spiritual work. This is an excellent book for that kind of work.
THe Book will make the paranoid more paranoid, make the average seeker cautious, and the devotee upset that someone would try to humanize thier teacher. It can also help to heal those who have had thier trust misused by teachers and learn to trust again but being more cautious.
It is a difficult subject to deal with and I think the author has done the best that can be done. If you like this one youll also enjoy Jack Kornfields after the ecstasy the laundry.

Some problems, but helped me a lot.......2007-01-10

This was the book I needed. It's helped me re-write in view of spiritual reality and turn my own disillusionment into something calmer, and send me back to some more genuine motivations.

There are some problems with the book. Nik Scott is right that the book is messy and swollen with quotes from others (although that is also part of it's value). It's true that worrying so much about enlightenment is beside the point - which is what the book says in fact, but it still never frees itself from the lingering hint of judgementalism implied.

As others have alluded to, this book has an incredible depth. Half of it could stand on it's own as a perceptive survey of different spiritual experiences. I have the feeling I'm talking to someone who has been around awhile, very wise - and cynical, but in a useful way.

liked it.......2005-11-07

I really liked this book. First of all its very readable, at least the dutch translation is. She puts enlightenment into perspective, and also the behaviour of some of the "enlightened teachers". There is a lot about the ego and the non-ego. I have read many buddist books and this is one of my favourites. It makes you think for yourself about what is enlightening and what is a good teacher.

Mystification of the obvious.......2005-09-05

We, everyone of us, are currently enlightened. Each guru quoted herein does have a book to sell, a system to further, or their own ego to feed. What are their credentials? Well, YOU wouldn't understand so you need to take it on faith. Frankly, doubt is a better religion. If one is serious about enlightenment, and it okay to be serious about it, pursue it youself. Go to your library, or Inter Library Loan, and read anything by Ramana Maharshi, or Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now, and avoid this bomb. Look into the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha, but avoid the Sutras & Suttas. Enlightenment is less not more, but it is all. You Will Be Amazed. HUTM is a sales pitch for the gurus contained within the book: create a need and then fill it. If you must read this, get it from the library -- there are better books to buy.

Sloppy logic?.......2005-07-27

Here we've had the greatest mystics through the ages (such as Ramana Maharishi) telling us two main things: (a) time is a total illusion and (b) everybody is already enlightened, therefore the concept is meaningless, everything is already perfect as it is.

Then we get this book which manages to gut-shoot both the above insights right in its title phrase: 'PREMATURE claims to ENLIGHTENMENT'. Well if life is but a dream to begin with, it's no harm no foul. Mountain out of a molehill. And, if this is a warning to stay away from the Jim Jones of the world, there are much better books on the whole anti-cult thing.

This book seems to be reinforcing the laborious duality that the best mystics are trying to sand-blast off of us. Meanwhile, the highlighting of commentaries from certain spiritual celebrities (e.g. Andrew Cohen), commenting on the dangers of this prematurity seems to suggest that THESE (quoted) people, at least, ARE qualified to teach us what's the view like from all the way up the mountain, so there's a kind of unspoken endorsement there, based on nothing at all apparent to me.

But for the sprinkling of cute anecdotes I've generously given it two stars.

Meanwhile, instead of the mountain I think I'll head for the beach.

Average customer rating:

JIm Bridger is an okay book
JIm Bridger is an okay book

Bridger: The Story of a Mountain Man
David Kherdian
Manufacturer: Greenwillow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

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ASIN: 0688065104

Customer Reviews:

JIm Bridger is an okay book.......2006-12-19

I think that this book is an okay book because there are some parts of it that were good and then other parts that were boring. I like how they are in the wilderness just trying to survive through winter without freezing or starving to death. I dont like the beginning of the book because it just talks about his life and he is only one week away from leaving on his trip with general ashley to become a mountain man. So overall i think this book is alright

JIm Bridger is an okay book.......2006-12-19

The Traitor: Golden Mountain Chronicles: 1885 (Golden Mountain Chronicles)

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boys of the Wild West
The Best Work of Yep's Up to Date
Exellent portrayal of the Rock Springs Chinese massacre

The Traitor: Golden Mountain Chronicles: 1885 (Golden Mountain Chronicles)
Laurence Yep
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060275227
Release Date: 2003-02-18

Book Description

Life is very tough in the Wyoming Territory in 1885 -- and not just because of the brutal environment. Michael Purdy is an outcast in the small town of Rock Springs. At times bullied and bloodied and at other times ignored, Michael feels that he might as well be a ghost in this town of rough miners.

But life is even tougher for Joseph Young -- a Chinese American boy Michael's age. Despised by the American miners, the Chinese work for slave wages and in increasingly dangerous conditions. Born in America but never feeling he belongs, Joseph burns with the desire to be a "real American boy" -- a dream his father and the other Chinese laborers don't understand. To them, life in America is a constant struggle against poverty, deprivation, and hate. When the town's growing resentment toward the Chinese explodes in an event of horrifying cruelty, Michael and Joseph must trust each other with their lives.

Based on the actual events of one of the worst race riots in American history, The Traitor is a powerful, haunting, and ultimately hopeful story about a unique friendship strong enough to bring two worlds together.

Customer Reviews:

boys of the Wild West.......2004-08-30

Rebeccasreads highly recommends THE TRAITOR: Golden Mountain Chronicles 1885 Wyoming Territory, as not only a grand boys' adventure, it's a roller-coaster historical ride into the dark side of fighting for survival & transcending racial hatred, as well soaring into the bright side of friendship, purpose & hope.

As with all Laurence Yep's chronicles of the Chinese American experience, THE TRAITOR is a riveting read! Could not put it down! Quite serious, all the more so because the events described actually happened. It makes you think "What would I have done?"

The Best Work of Yep's Up to Date.......2004-01-30

As a graduate student working on Yep's novels, I found The Traitor the most interesting and fascinating to read among the rest of his Golden Mountain Chronicles. Not only is The Traitor full of complexity and ingenuity, but also gives us the detailed history of the Chinese immigrants in the 1880s, including the severest Chinese massacre incident and the Exclusion Act. The story starts with a boy named Joseph, son of Otter in Dragon's Gate, who shares his living experiences with a local American boy Michael. As the "traitors" from both their ethnic groups, Joseph and Michael have to use their wisdom in order to survive in the Rock Springs Massacre.

For those who would like to know more about the Chinese immigrant history, I strongly recommend this book.

Exellent portrayal of the Rock Springs Chinese massacre.......2003-03-19

This book, The Traitor, is a fantastic book. I read it in two days and could not put it down. It's, in a nutshell, about a Chinese-American boy named Joseph Young who wants to be fully American.Joe's a miner who misses San Francisco, where he used to live before the immigration laws threw him and his father out. In the adjoining town of Rock Springs is a boy named Michael Purdy. Mike is shunned due to his not having a father. Michael and Joseph find sanctuary in Star Rock, their weekly meeting place. Meanwhile, Mike's town is a Chinese hating society, so they band together one day to kill all the Chinese out of spite. The book is based on actual events, and if you're like me, anything with to do with Chinese culture or historical fiction draws you in. Hope you like it!

Average customer rating:

Not So Thrilling
Himalayan Fantasy
A Good Read
Allende Trilogy
An Excellent Suspense Book With Multiple Great Twists

Kingdom of the Golden Dragon
Isabel Allende
Manufacturer: Rayo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060589426
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Book Description

Not many months have passed since teenager Alexander Cold followed his bold grand-mother into the heart of the Amazon to uncover its legendary Beast. This time, reporter Kate Cold escorts her grandson and his closest friend, Nadia, along with the photographers from International Geographic, on a journey to another remote niche of the world. Entering a forbidden sovereignty tucked in the frosty peaks of the Himalayas, the team's task is to locate its fabled Golden Dragon, a sacred statue and priceless oracle that can foretell the future of the kingdom.

In their scramble to reach the statue before it is destroyed by the greed of an outsider, Alexander and Nadia must use the transcendent power of their totemic animal spirits -- Jaguar and Eagle. With the aid of a sage Buddhist monk, his young royal disciple, and a fierce tribe of Yeti warriors, Alexander and Nadia fight to protect the holy rule of the Golden Dragon.

Isabel Allende once again leads readers on a fantastical voyage of suspense, magic, and awe-inspiring adventure in this riveting follow-up to City of the Beasts.

Customer Reviews:

Not So Thrilling.......2007-09-17

Reading this book was painful for me. This is coming from a reader of the English version. The idea of this story could have been good, a chase to save a forbidden treasure from a greedy man with a lot of wealth, but I did not find it at all interesting.

I can understand why this author is well liked, some parts of the book were well thought out and described. The problem was that the main story was not well planned out. All of the story fit together awkwardly and made it uninteresting to read.

Mystery and fantasy are not a category that I believe should be written by this author. The magic in this story seemed to far-fetched and too all-powerful to make it fun. Although some may have been interested to find out who the villain was, I thought that it was painstakingly obvious from the moment the character appeared. If you never have read a good mystery novel in your life, you may be fooled.

I have read books that were translated into English before and I understand that some of the creativity may have been lost. I think one star is appropriate for the book since I do not understand how the amount of creativity this story lacks could have been lost in translation. If the story is lost in the translation, I feel that is should not have been translated in the first place.

Himalayan Fantasy.......2007-08-14

Only after I finished this book did I realize it was for young adults! (My reaction before I found out was that Allende had gone seriously downhill.) But from the young adult perspective, it's not a bad read. The second of three mystery/travel/adventure books by Allende, written for her grandchildren, this is an entertaining tale set in a thinly disguised Bhutan. An irascible, mid-60's-ish travel writer named Kate Gold invites her grandson and his friend Nadia from South America to join her on a trip to the Himalayan Kingdom of the Golden Dragon. There they meet up with the King and his heir, a seven-foot tall monk trained in the martial arts, the secret Sect of the Scorpion, a plot to steal the Kingdom's most valuable treasure, etc. No sex, not much violence, and lots of traditional values. Probably good for the 12-13 year old set, but, unlike Harry Potter, definitely not for grownups.

A Good Read.......2007-02-13

Kingdom of the Golden Dragon by Isabel Allende is very interesting. The plot had many twists and turns that really spice it up. How the plot weaves together and who the bad guy really is was awesome! How the Golden Dragon really works is brilliant! All of the settings, from India, to The Kingdom of the Golden Dragon was interesting. The author portrays the love and compassion of the Nepalese people that they show for each other. She also shows how they can be cruelly exploited. This among the best children's books I have ever read. By JJ

Allende Trilogy.......2007-02-10

I loved this book on tape and its two companion stories. I've always been a fan of Isabel Allende and listened to Daughter of Fortune and Portrait in Sepia in the car. Then Id purchased Kingdom of the Golden Dragon and the the two other books in this series on tape. I really enjoyed them although they are very different from Allende's other books. I imagine that a 10-13 year old child would really enjoy these books and have set them aside to give as a gift to a special young person in the future. Despite the more simple story line I loved the tapes and couldn't wait to get back in the car to listen. Books-on-tape are, I think, the complete answer to road rage. When I'm listening to something good I don't care how long it takes to get where I'm going.

An Excellent Suspense Book With Multiple Great Twists.......2006-09-06

This book was extremely creative. I greatly suggest you read the first book in the series before reading this one, just to help with lots of connections Isabel make between this book and City of the Beasts. Isabel added twist after twist to the story making you want to read more and more. Every night you could see the light on in my room since I could not keep my eyes of the book. Suspense fills the book so high that you fell as if you have to read more and more just to find out what will come with a flip of the page.
The story is about Alexander and Nadia, two spontaneous teens, going to the Himalayas with Alex's grandmother, who writes for the National Geographic Magazine. After meeting and having an adventure in the Amazon (City of the Beasts), Alex and Nadia have another adventure together with some new characters.
Each character has their own distinct personality, which you get to know better and better through out the book. For example, Alex is a bit of an outcast who has really mixed emotions. He rock climbs, which helps him multiple times throughout the story. Nadia is always very calm, can think things through and is very spiritual. She has two very special talents that help her through all their encounters. She has the ability to turn invisible and to talk to animals. One other interesting thing about these two teens is that they have totemic animals, Jaguar and Eagle. Together they make a great team.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good book that is educational, fictional, adventurous, magical and suspenseful all in one.

Tortilla Chronicles: Growing Up in Santa Fe

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Tortilla Chronicles: Growing Up in Santa Fe
Marie Romero Cash
Manufacturer: University of New Mexico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0826339123

Book Description

A family memoir full of New Mexico flavor, Tortilla Chronicles serves up a hearty helping of the "City Different" from the perspective of the humble, hardworking Romeros, a family honored for its contributions to regional folk arts. Marie Romero Cash, herself a renowned artist, poignantly sketches each family member using his or her own voice. Their stories present a rare glimpse into the life of a traditional Hispano family and provide an antidote to typical nostalgic tourist accounts of 1950s Santa Fe.

Customer Reviews:

Great Trail Guide.......2007-04-04

This is a terrific guide to trail riding in New Mexico. This book gave valuable information on trail riding, camping with your horses and general information about trail riding gear. I would highly recommend this book for anyone visiting or living here in New Mexico.

must have trail riding book for New Mexico.......2007-03-08

This is a well written book that all trail riders in new mexico must own. You'll love it. The authors personnally rode every trail in their book and have outlined it beautifully. They wrote this book because no one else had and they noted a need for it.

Donna Ketcheson, Back Country Horseman

Hiking Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, 2nd (Regional Hiking Series)

Average customer rating:

"new" edition not necessarily an improvement

Hiking Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, 2nd (Regional Hiking Series)
Bill Schneider
Manufacturer: Falcon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0762725656

Book Description

Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southeastern New Mexico is renowned for its amazing system of limestone caves. Both Carlsbad and the nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park, just across the state line in Texas, are also blessed with spectacular above-ground trails. This thoroughly revised edition is the authoritative and the only comprehensive guide to all of the hiking trails in both parks.

Customer Reviews:

"new" edition not necessarily an improvement.......2005-10-03

I used the first edition (1996) of Bill Schneider's book on hiking in the Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns National Parks with as close to 100% satisfaction as I ever get from this sort of thing. This new edition includes a scarcely modified version of Mr. Schneider's original text, which was direct, accurate and detailed. No problem there. No need for a new edition, but I know how the publishing industry works and am aware, also, of the sense that some readers have that everything needs to be "updated" every year or two. Well, the Guadalupe Reef and the caves under it have not changed very much since the mid-90's. Nor have the trails. So the author's text stands at five star level. Here are the changes you will see in the "current" book, leading me to give it four stars rather than the five I gave the 1996 edition:
1) The 1996 edition had legible photocopies of the appropriate sections of the detailed Trails Illustrated topographic maps for each hike. The new edition has only very rough "contour" maps, with each contour corresponding to about a thousand feet. I don't know for sure because they're not labelled. They look sort of like those old wooden plate relief maps Scouts made for merit badges, sometimes seen in museums in visitor centers. The new maps also lack the trail mileages the T.I. maps had.
2) The graphs that charted elevation change on the hike, mile by mile, have been eliminated.
3) Also, the summary of elevation change over the course of the hike at the beginning of each hike description have been eliminated as well.
These are the substantive changes. Mr. Schneider's original text, pretty much intact, mentions elevation change at various points so information relating to that aspect is not missing altogether. But I now have to recommend that users of this book ALSO buy the Trails Illustrated maps of these parks.
Other changes don't matter so much. The first edition carried a two page piece called "the Grand Creation", about the formation of the caves in the Guadalupe Reef. This was an extract from "Silent Chambers, Timeless Beauty". Now's its gone. But it was just extra weight on the trail, anyway. But you know, I think the NEW edition is heavier!
Finally, not that it matters, and I'm sure that the mistake is not Bill Schneider's, rather that of the person doing graphics for Globe Pequot Press, the photograph on the cover was NOT taken in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, but in Big Bend National Park, I think from the Lost Mine Trail. At least they got the state right.
You're better off with the old edition, but this one will do if you can't get it.
By the way, here's a tip not in the book: Mr. Schneider makes reference to the particular beauty of the Guadalupe Ridge Trail in the early morning; this trail starts on the Scenic Loop Drive in Carlsbad Caverns NP. Keep in mind that the Scenic Loop Drive is GATED, and is not opened till some time between 7 and 8 o'clock. At least when I visited in late 2004. So if you want to get out there early, inquire with the National Park Service ahead of time.

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