Sharks in the Desert

Book Description

The story fo the evolution of the gambling racket from mobbed-up vice to corporate success story as told through the biographies of the men who made it happen.

Customer Reviews:

Sloppy, Fragmented and Unfocused.......2007-03-22

This is a book that appeals to no one. If you're not already familiar with Vegas history, it is not a good place to start. And if you already know something about Vegas, it will not teach you anything new.

In theory, the structure of this book seems like a good idea -- devote a chapter each on the movers and shakers who built Las Vegas. The problem is that they all influenced each other, so separating them results in an arbitrary, fragmented, sometimes difficult-to-follow, narrative. Even the chapters themselves tend to jump back and forth in time and place. Structurally, the book just doesn't work.

Then there's the problem of sketchy information. Smith doesn't go into great detail explaining the why's and how's of events, leaving the reader with a great longing to know more about the individual characters of these men and what makes them tick. If you're looking for some good dish on Vegas -- which is what the snappy title promises -- there are better choices.

Compounding the reader's frustration are the numerous typos, spelling, and grammatical errors. Smith either had no editor or edited this himself. It feels like a first draft in serious need of a major rewrite and fact checking. It's difficult to believe Smith makes a living as a journalist. He must have a good editor at the Review/Journal.

The Real McCoy........2007-03-05

This book gives you the real story behind the Vegas gaming legends. Nobody does justice to this topic like John L. Smith. His research is impeccable.

It delivers on the title but in a less than thrilling way.......2006-10-31

This book is a fun read if you are someone who is familiar with Las Vegas. The book indeed delivers on what the subtitle, "..The Founding Fathers and Current Kings of Las Vegas" states. Each chapter is more or less devoted to discussing a specific person and the impact they had on setting the stage for the evolution of Las Vegas. I imagine those of you who have never been infatuated with Las Vegas will want to pass on this one.

Based on some of the anecdotes, it seems amazing that some of the Vegas hotels are still open today. The mobsters and the so called "straight laced" owners who ran (or still run) the hotels come off as either extremely brilliant or totally incompetent. It is no wonder that most of the Strip hotels have all been swallowed up by one or two companies. The author also seems to question if some hotels are completely honest when it comes to gaming.

The problem I had with the book was perhaps I was expecting something more chronological and dramatic. Instead, the book is like a compilation of old newpaper columns that are all put together in one place(of course, maybe that is not a surprise since the author is a newspaper reporter). Much like other books of that nature, the reading becomes almost repetitive and seems easier to take over a long haul rather than a week or two of reading cover to cover. Also note that there are a few typos and errors that make it seem like someone did a spellcheck with a computer rather than really proofreading it.

If you can stick with this type of book, you will probably enjoy it. Now this is the first book about Las Vegas I have read so I can not compare it to anything but I've got to believe there is probably something a bit more compelling.

Las Vegas history: from mob to corporate.......2006-03-16

The complete saga of Las Vegas from its early roots with the mob to modern corporate times is presented in a lively history of the city's real rulers in SHARKS IN THE DESERT: THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND CURRENT KINGS OF LAS VEGAS. Many made their fortunes developing the casino business the city is most famous for today - but many myths have surrounded their activities - myths which columnist Smith dispels in an investigative history which tracked mobsters and their connections to the city's rich and monied.

Great book and great shipping time.......2006-02-17

I received this book almost right away. It's a very good summary of the people of Las Vegas written by someone who knows, John Smith.

Hiking the Great Basin: The High Desert Country of California, Nevada, and Utah (Sierra Club Totebook)

Average customer rating:

Indispensable but needs updated edition
good things come in small packages!

Hiking the Great Basin: The High Desert Country of California, Nevada, and Utah (Sierra Club Totebook)
John Hart
Manufacturer: Sierra Club Books for Children
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Sierra Club | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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50 Classic Hikes in Nevada: From the Ruby Mountains to Red Rock Canyon

ASIN: 0871566397

Book Description

Completety revised and updated. this definitive guidebook covers the vast, rugged landscape of the Great Basin region, an arid land broken by hundreds of mountain ranges (with peaks rising to as high as 14,000 feet), breathtaking canyons and cliffs, pine forests and aspen groves, lush-banked streams, even waterfalls and lakes.

Veteran hiker John Hart offers a wealth of information on this spectacular region, including:
-- Geology, ecology, desert plants and animals, history, and environmental concerns
-- Detailed descriptions of some 90 routes -- from easy nature walks to advanced cross-country treks
-- Tips on camping, supply points, weather, desert roads and driving conditions, and water sources
-- 47 detailed maps

Customer Reviews:

Indispensable but needs updated edition.......2004-02-07

John Hart is the real deal, and anyone hiking the Great Basin needs this book. His mileages are accurate and so are his descriptions of routes. The only criticism I offer is that the book is a bit dated--for example, there is an easy-to-follow use trail to Morey Peak instead of the XC route description JH offers. Also worth noting is that JH must have a very low-slung vehicle. Driving a garden-variety SUV (1996 Jeep Cherokee) I have never had any trouble on any of the roads he describes.

Happy Hiking, M

good things come in small packages!.......2000-01-19

This is a book that packs a lot of worthy information into a small book that is easy to backpack. You will need detailed topo maps as those in the book are for overview only, but the hikes are exquisitely detailed and accurate. Many of the trips are in the less well-known areas of Nevada and Eastern California and will please those who like to hike without meeting anyone else. The author encourages readers to find alternative routes to destinations and, although most of the trips are to peaks, there are some easier canyon hikes. Longer trips definitely need experience and route-finding abilities.

Few and Far Between: Moments in the North American Desert

Average customer rating:

Few and Far Between: Moments in the North American Desert
John Martin Campbell
Manufacturer: Museum of New Mexico Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0890133220

Average customer rating:

Food Plants of the Sonoran Desert
Wendy C. Hodgson
Manufacturer: University of Arizona Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West: A Guide to Identifying, Preparing, and Using Traditional Medicinal Plants Found in the Deserts and C

ASIN: 0816520607

The Desert Southwest: Four Thousand Years of Life And Art

Average customer rating:

OFF THE COFFEE TABLE AND INTO YOUR PSYCHE
A wonderful read
History that reads like a Tony Hillerman novel, only funnier ....
A Gem of a Book

The Desert Southwest: Four Thousand Years of Life And Art
Allan Hayes , and Carol Hayes
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Southwestern Pottery: Anasazi to Zuni
Talking With the Clay: The Art of Pueblo Pottery
Classic Hopi And Zuni Kachina Figures
Casas Grandes and the Ceramic Art of the Ancient Southwest (Published in Association with The Art Institute of Chicago)
Collecting Authentic Indian Arts And Crafts: Traditional Work of the Southwest

ASIN: 1580087671

Book Description

This beautiful art book tells the story of the "other Southwest," tracing the history of centuries of conflict and resolution between Natives, Hispanics, and Anglos, as well as their respective artistic accomplishments. This far-reaching collection of artifacts invites you to explore the achievements and art of cultures that overcame unfathomable obstacles to build the Southwest that we know today.

Customer Reviews:

OFF THE COFFEE TABLE AND INTO YOUR PSYCHE.......2007-08-07

Was the movie Chinatown fact or fiction? In The Desert Southwest: Four Thousand Years of Life and Art, Allan and Carol Hayes tell you the real story behind the water deal that turned Los Angeles into what it is today -- and about the century after century of history that preceded it.

In school, you were told that the valleys of the Nile, the Tigris and the Euphrates were the "cradles of
civilization," but did anyone ever tell you that the southern Arizona desert is considered the cradle of civilization in the United States?

Recent excavations indicate that people began living an agriculture-based lifestyle in the Tuscon basin four thousand years ago. Why and how did the dry, hard-edged, hostile desert become the place where millions of Americans want to live today .. a place where, for centuries, talented artists, engineers and craftsmen have created everything from sophisticated irrigation systems to magnificent pottery.

Don't be misled -- this book would look terrific on your coffee table with its stunning photographs by John
Blom. But what's best about it is not what it shows you but what it tells you. This is much more than a coffee table book -- the words and pictures leap off the page and into your psyche.

Read it and you will never feel the same about the desert southwest again.

A wonderful read.......2006-12-05

This is a treasure book for anyone living in Arizona or trying to know it better. What a great read: funny and studious. The authors present their opinions with joy and research and tell you why they ended up where they are.

A great keeper and a great gift.

History that reads like a Tony Hillerman novel, only funnier ...........2006-11-22

This is not a coffee-table book, although it would look good on any coffee table. It's a meticiously researched
history-anthropology-archeology book that reads like a Tony Hillerman novel, only funnier. And it's filled with wonderful photographs (both historical and contemporary),some of which show things like things you could actually buy.

Many people think the history of the Desert Southwest began with the Pueblos and ended with Indian Gaming,
but this book traces its history, art and culture back for more than 4000 years. And it takes the reader far beyond New Mexico and Arizona to amazing sites in Utah, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Southern California and Northern Mexico.

My husband and I lived in the Southwest for many years and thought we knew a lot about the area -- but this
book opened our eyes. We lent it to Hispanic and Native neighbors, who said the same thing. I reccommend it to anyone as a fresh, readable exploration of a fascinating subject. And as a terrific take-along travel guide
to anyone planning a trip to the Desert Southwest.

By the way, if you're already into Pueblo Pottery, check out the first Hayes-Blom book, Southwestern Pottery: Anasazi to Zuni.

A Gem of a Book.......2006-11-21

A great book with lots of beautiful photos of new and ancient Southwestern pottery. The history of the Southwest's peoples is covered along with some photos. Overall, this book offers useful information for the novice as well as the professional. It is a must for anyone seeking to invest in ancient Southwest pottery.

Dead in Their Tracks: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands

Average customer rating:

Not worth the time or effort to read
Walk the Line in this New World
Flesh and Bones
Annoying, short, and thoroughly belabors the obvious.
Those who dare.

Dead in Their Tracks: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands
John Annerino
Manufacturer: Four Walls Eight Windows
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Coyotes: A Journey Through the Secret World of America's Illegal Aliens
The Devil's Highway: A True Story
Across the Wire: Life and Hard Times on the Mexican Border
Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail
Lives on the Line: Dispatches from the U.S.-Mexico Border

ASIN: 1568582676

Book Description

On assignment for Newsweek, noted photojournalist John Annerino journeyed deep into one of the least hospitable spots on the planet — the scorched 4,100-square-mile "empty quarter" that straddles Mexico and Arizona. There he met four Mexican nationals determined to cross a 130-mile trail illegally to find work to feed their families. Dead in Their Tracks is the record of their experience. Annerino’s unflinching camera and sensitive text capture the lives of these men, along with the ranchers, Border Patrol trackers, and drug runners whose livelihoods also depend on this grim realm. Dead in Their Tracks’ unforgettable images of anonymous travelers who may survive, and the bleached bones of those who did not, show the ultimate price sometimes exacted by an unforgiving nature — and by those who make policy in this area. 70 photographs and maps are featured in this harrowing chronicle of the dangers and struggles fought for a better way of life.

Customer Reviews:

Not worth the time or effort to read.......2007-08-09

This book was extremely disappointing unless you would like to know how many gallons of water it takes to illegally cross from Mexico into the United States. The author takes a liberal and sympathic view of illegals and tries to sway the reader into thinking that breaking the law is OK for these people. Give me a break. Where is the equal-sided journalism? What about the economic drain to healthcare, gang violence and drugs that these people bring into the United States? If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and swims like a duck then it is a duck. Illegals are illegals are illegals. Don't waste your time on this book.

Walk the Line in this New World.......2006-02-01

-"Photojournalist John Annerino plunges into a world few Americans ever consider, much less confront: a pitiless trek through the southwestern Arizona Desert that can deliver a man to steady work - or to a whimpering death," Laura Brooks, The Arizona Daily Star.

-"Anyone interested in this slaughter should run, not walk, to John Annerino's Dead in Their Tracks," Charles Bowden, author of Down by the River.

-"A passionate chronicle. The story...is gripping and profoundly disturbing," Susan J. Tweit, The Bloomsbury Review.

-"A stunning portrayal of the dangers (including death) faced by immigrants eager to work in the United States," Library Journal.

-"I'm trying to illuminate the lives of those who continue to die in America's killing ground," Annerino said," abcnews.com.

-"A gripping firsthand account of crossing the Camino del Diablo in the company of Mexican nationals...Annerino's evocative words and haunting pictures make the issue impossible to ignore," Donnamarie Barnes, People Magazine.

-"The story is riveting.Annerino's writing is emotional and graphic," Ernesto Portillo, San Diego Union-Tribune.

-"Through cholla cactus and scorpions, along sands simmering at 140-160 degrees, John Annerino and four Mexican companions stumble toward an oasis north of poverty: the American dream," oneworldjournies.com.

-"The book is a testament and a memorial.Thirty pages list the known dead...Annerino deserves praise for putting this story into words and pictures," Will Chaffey, San Antonio Express-News.

-"A gripping work of investigative reporting," Nicole Davis, National Geographic Adventure.

-"Seen on CNN and featured on CNN Bokchat, John Annerino has worked on the border for Newsweek, ABC Primetime, National Geographic Adventure, and America 24/7," KmG

Flesh and Bones.......2006-01-26

"A passionate exponent of more human solutions to the problems of illegal border crossings...John Annerino, an Arizona writer-photojournalist, tells the story up close and personal in a gut wrenching, bare knuckle account...His account puts flesh and bones on the story behind the dreams, and skeletons,too," Desert Candle.

Annoying, short, and thoroughly belabors the obvious........2005-06-09

This book is poorly written, _utterly_ disjointed, and has a cloying sentimentality that is really annoying. By that I mean it's not at all analytical: it includes random snippets of poems, etc. that serve only to confound the reader looking for some meat. Plus, there are certain phrases like "cutting sign" that I hadn't the foggiest idea about until I looked it up. Help the reader out here.

Yeah, it's hot as hell in the desert, and it's doggone handy to have water. It sucks that people are dying in the desert and the forces that draw them to _El Norte_ are highly complex and not necessarily their fault. Still, they are breaking the law from the word go, and well they know it, and it seems to me there are worse tragedies involving truly innocent people. Plus, it peeves me to no end that these illegals have largely trashed some of the most beautiful and exotic wildernesses in the U.S. So my sympathy is just not all that deep.

The photos are for the most part of lousy quality as well. Why it took carrying several cameras, as the author claims, to produce these pictures is beyond me.

Lastly the book is VERY short, with a ridiculously long appendix addressing every single death that has occurred in this area ... newsflash: no one is going to read that.

How could the editors have allowed a book like this to go to press? It's absolutely amateurish, despite being driven by sincere emotions.

Those who dare........2004-08-28

There are those who call themselves experts on the subject and those who are. John is the genuine expert. His points on the subject can only be done by being there and doing it. That is John, that is how he is. That is how he lives. A Master photographer, a Father, Journalist. His treatment on the border issue is a no-holds-barred trip into the unknown. He makes it known, he does it masterfully! When I read Dead in Their Tracks I found it to be the best publication on the subject. It should be required reading for those who are studying Hispanic Culture here at the University of Arizona! When one has the folks at ABC News and other News organizations beating on your door for your knowledge on the subject you know it is John Annerino. When you read a John Annerino book or see his imigaes you are guaranteed that you have exposed to the very best in subject treatment. Dead in Their Tracks will take you for a ride you won't soon forget.

Average customer rating:

The author is not just an Ethnobotanist, he's a Poet!

Gathering the Desert.
Gary Paul Nabhan
Manufacturer: University of Arizona Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Enduring Seeds: Native American Agriculture and Wild Plant Conservation
Cultures of Habitat: On Nature, Culture, and Story
The Desert Smells Like Rain: A Naturalist in O'Odham Country
Songbirds, Truffles, and Wolves: An American Naturalist in Italy
Why Some Like It Hot: Food, Genes, and Cultural Diversity

ASIN: 0816510148

Customer Reviews:

The author is not just an Ethnobotanist, he's a Poet!.......2002-09-15

Quite simply, read this book. It turns the subject of "ethnoecology" (sounds dull, doesn't it?!) into a poetic duet of plants and the relationship native peoples developed with them. Nabhan, in this book, profiles several individual species (found in his beloved Sonoran desert) as intimately as a biographer would profile an admired personage. The illustrations are delicate and so accurate you could go out and identify each species at first sight. I became enchanted, and wistful, at Nabhan's accounts of ingenious interactions of Southwest Amerinds and useful plants that allowed both to survive and thrive in such a harsh region. Wistful, because many of these vital prehistoric resources, such as panic grass and sandfood, are unknown to modern peoples, and virtually extinct. And with them, human ability to survive such harsh landscapes without radically modifying them is going extinct as well.
From Nabhan's perspective (in all his books), native peoples of a region are not interlopers, but another component of a balanced local ecology; the ecological diversity & resource potentials lost when the First World imposes foreign ecologies on regions is a subtext of all Nabhan's writings.
Each chapter of "Gathering the Desert" stands by itself; but together they lead to a conclusion of incomparable adaptation to what Euro-Americans see as a cactus "wasteland". I assign readings from this book, and the entire book, to my college classes in Southwest Indians and ecological anthropology. However, it has much wider appeal, and to call it "highly readable" is an understatement. I respect Nabhan's careful academic research and his commitment to actually going into the field to experience the peoples and the natural environment directly. I admire even more his ability to make what is very commonly a dull reporting of "what people ate" into a literary symphony. All his books are excellent; this is the best of the best.

Desert Snakes of North America (Herpetology Series)

Average customer rating:

Desert Snakes of North America (Herpetology Series)
Wil Mara
Manufacturer: TFH Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Reptiles & Amphibians | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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Snakes (Investigate Series)
Vipers: A Guide for the Advanced Hobbyist (Complete Pet Owner's Manual)

ASIN: 0793820472

The Desert States: Smithsonian Guides (Smithsonian Guides to Historic America)

Average customer rating:

I have the older version and it's wonderful

The Desert States: Smithsonian Guides (Smithsonian Guides to Historic America)
Michael S. Durham
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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The Rocky Mountain States: Smithsonian Guides (Smithsonian Guides to Historic America)
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Smithsonian Guide to Historic America: The Plains States (Smithsonian Guide to Historic America Series)
The Carolinas & Appalachian States (Smithsonian Guides to Historic America, Book 9)

ASIN: 1556706413

Customer Reviews:

I have the older version and it's wonderful.......2001-09-19

I have this book, but it was published in 1990. In other words, I do not have the revised and updated version.

However, if this one is anything like the copy I have, it is wonderful. The full color pictures are lovely and are used to enhance the text.

Although this book doesn't tell the history of these states, it visits historic places within each state. Much of the history of these four states (NM, AZ, NV, UT) is told through the landscape and historic buildings of each state.

I have enjoyed every place that I have visited and my visits have only been enhanced by using this book as a resource in my travels.

California Trails Desert Region
Average customer rating:
California Trails Desert Region
Peter Massey , Jeanne Wilson , and Angela Titus
Manufacturer: Swagman Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Motor Sports | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Regions | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books
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California Trails High Sierra Region

California Trails South Coast Region

California Trails Central Mountains Region

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Guide to Southern California Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails

ASIN: 1930193203
Release Date: 2006-10-27

Product Description

This handy 6x9 guidebook is a new, full color volume that navigates 1358 miles of backcountry trails in California, near the towns of Lone Pine (east), Panamint Springs, Death Valley area, Ridgecrest, Barstow, Baker and Blythe. See ghost towns, old mines and mill workings, old railroads and stage lines along the 51 off-road trails. Directions include GPS coordinates and all trails are rated for difficulty, mileage, driving time, remoteness and more. Descriptions highlight places to camp, hike, mountain bike, fish, and sightsee. Histories recount the days of the Wild West.

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