Book Description
The modern classic that interweaves the solitude, silence, and prayer of the fourth- and fifth-century Egyptian Desert Fathers and Mothers with our contemporary search for an authentic spirituality
Customer Reviews:
good - not too deep - quick read.......2007-08-31
I enjoyed the perspective of being oversturated with words in our society. We are bombarded by advertising and have become numb to the spoken word. The highlight of the book is " It through spending time in the silent presence of the Lord that gives strenghth to our words"
Satisfied.......2006-11-05
I was very happy with my purchase. The book came quickly and was in excellent condition
Excellent read, great book.......2006-06-06
Short, simple, easy to read in the typical Nouwen fashion, and yet when you are finished, you can not help but feel refreshed, energized, and re-awakened to that "tiny whispering sound" referred to in 1 Kings 19:12. This is an excellent book about the heart of prayer: standing silent in the presence of God. There is a lot of noise out there, and this book shows how to leave the noise outside, how to instill the silence of presence to God in your soul, and how to carry that out to the marketplace, where the message of the Gospel so needs to be heard.
Retreat planning tool.......2006-03-17
This book was recommended prior to a spiritual growth retreat. All retreat members read the book and were very pleased with the information. It is easy to get caught up in the noise and confusion of the world forgetting how important and valuable solitude and silence are to a relationship with God. In those quiet times come rich growth. This was a great reminder.
Three Practices that Bring Life.......2005-08-28
In this book Henri Nouwen takes us through three often-neglected disciplines in our noisy, busy, fast-paced culture. He not only encourages us to take some time to turn from the noise to silence, from the busyness to solitude, and from running fast to slowing down to pray; but he shows us how.
When it comes to solitude, Henri defines it beautifully: "Solitude is the place of purification and transformation, the place of the great struggle and the great encounter..." He talks about how this is a time when we stand alone before a holy God, bare-naked. That is the struggle, to come to God honestly. To encounter this wholly other God who is wholly other in his holiness, grace and love. And as we accept his love and grace, we can boldly come before him and stand in his presence naked and unashamed.
Then he goes on to talk about silence. "First, silence makes us pilgrims. Secondly, silence guards the fire within. Thirdly, silence teaches us to speak." We live in a world of words and silence enables us to hear the voice of God, so that we can breath life into those around us by our careful choice of words. He talks about how as ministers we can give time for silence in our counseling, bringing people to Jesus, waiting for the Spirit's direction.
And when it come to prayer, Henri says, "The prayer of the heart opens the eyes of the soul to the truth of ourselves as well as to the truth of God. The prayer of the heart challenges us to hide absolutely nothing."
We all need help in developing these three disciplines: silence, solitude and prayer in our noisy, busy and fast-paced society. Henri reminds us of the importance of these disciplines and gives us some practical help in how to live them out in real life.
Book Description
First published in 1925, L.B. Cowman’s Streams in the Desert® is a masterful compilation of inspirational writings from a variety of sources. Updated for the 21st century by Jim Reimann, the book was again an instant classic. This beautiful classic is now available in a portable gift book. Containing specifically chosen selections from Streams in the Desert®, this gift book is for those that are hurting or going through crisis and are in need of encouragement. A wonderful gift to encourage with, or for someone who has already read the book.
Book Description
Words of spiritual counsel from the heart of early Christian monasticism.
Download Description
This book brings to readers the lives and thoughts of some key representatives of the early Desert Fathers and Mothers, who were so important in the history of the early Christian Church. Glimpses of their austere and holy lives and many of their important sayings are contained in this book by Fr. John Chryssavgis, former Professor of Theology and Dean at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. The book also presents, for the first time in the English language, a translation of a fifth-century text, the Reflections (Dialogismoiv) of Abba Zosimas, one of the most significant later figures of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. In the Heart of the Desert also includes a foreword by Benedicta Ward, SLG, editor of the acclaimed collection Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection, (Cistercian Publications: Kalamazoo, MI, 1975), and a noted expert in this fascinating area of Christian history and ageless wisdom.
Customer Reviews:
reliable guide to desert monasticism.......2007-01-18
I like the two aphorisms that Chryssavgis uses to introduce the overall message of the fourth century desert monastics. From W.H. Auden's In Memory of W.B. Yeats, "In the deserts of the heart, let the healing fountain start." Then, from Isaiah 35:8 (LXX), "The road of cleansing goes through that desert. It shall be named the way of holiness." The desert was the laboratory of Christian discipleship for these saints, and we have much to learn from their experiment. Chryssavgis, Professor of Theology and former Dean at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, has not only studied the desert fathers as a scholar, he has spent time with them as a fellow Christian pilgrim. The result is a wonderful introduction to these early ascetics, similar to Where God Happens (2005) by Rowan Williams. His 18 chapters are brief and to the point. They cover all the pertinent themes you would expect--patience, silence, tears, guidance, detachment, and so on, and then three that are pleasant surprises--the body, the environment, and gender. He quotes copiously from the desert "sayings." The book is complimented by color plates of icons, a simple map of the area, a timeline of people, bibliography, and then the Reflections of Abba Zosimas (6th century) that are translated here for the first time.
The monastics commend themselves for a number of reasons. John the Baptist announced the coming kingdom in the desert. Jesus fled to Egypt as a baby (Matthew 2:12-23), and in Luke's Gospel our first glimpse of him as an adult was when the Holy Spirit drove him into the desert to be tempted by Satan (Luke 4:1). Second, these desert dwellers were practitioners of healing, not abstract theoreticians. They sought personal transformation, not theological information. They believed the wisdom of Diadochos of Photiki (5th century) that "nothing is so destitute as a mind philosophizing about God when it is without him." Third, the desert monastics might strike us as anachronistic oddballs today, and certainly no one would accuse them of being well-adjusted to society, then or now. But we misunderstand them if we construe their bizarre lifestyles as a spirituality of superficial techniques. What they modeled, and what we should emulate, is a transformation of the interior geography of the heart whatever one's exterior circumstances. For them the desert was a specific place, but for us today it can also be a spiritual way. Fourth, I honor the desert mothers and fathers because I want to place myself in the mix of saints who have gone before me. Tradition, said Chesterton, "means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about. All democrats object to men being disqualified by the accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by the accident of death." Finally, I love the desert monastics most of all for their profound humanity. These saints modeled what Chryssavgis calls a "spirituality of imperfection" in which one is not ashamed or embarrassed to embrace and affirm one's brokenness, wounds, darkness, and inner demons. They comfortably acknowledged intense struggle as a necessary virtue, praying with Sarapion of Thmuis (4th century), "Lord! We entreat you, make us truly alive."
Reader-friendly Scholarship.......2003-12-05
'In the Heart of the Desert' is a very thoroughly researched book on the writings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers of Christian tradition going back to the time of St. Antony.
What makes it really special is how well it is written for lay-reader or scholar alike. This is a book that you will enjoy whether you know a little or a lot about the subject, and it is easy to understand, follow and benefit from irregardless of your prior knowledge of the subject.
Chryssavgis captures the peace of the desert fathers and makes it accessible to those of us living in the modern day world, who would like to bring a bit of the 'desert' tradition into our every day lives.
Thank you, Father Chryssavgis, this book has been a wonderful read, and an inspiring journey into the desert.
An especially welcome contribution to Christian studies.......2003-07-16
In the Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality Of The Desert Fathers And Mothers by Fr. John Chryssavigis (Professor of Theology at Hellenic College & Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology) surveys a treasury of ancient texts regarding Christianity, particularly those written by earliest Christian peoples who lived and survived in the desert as an act of Christian faith. Their exhortations, spiritual guidances, prayers, encounters with God, internal struggles, and testimonies have survived down the centuries, and here they are presented in an informative overview enhanced with extensive thought, wisdom, and meditation concerning the lives that have worshiped God throughout the centuries. An especially welcome contribution to Christian studies and reference shelves, In The Heart Of The Desert is a work of considerable scholarship and easily accessible by non-specialist general readers.
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- The great divide
- Good beginning but goes no where
- Feel the passion, hear the experiences of the Bushman.
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The Heart of the Hunter: Customs and Myths of the African Bushman
Laurens Van Der Post
Manufacturer: Harvest/HBJ Book
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The Lost World of the Kalahari
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ASIN: 0156400030 |
Book Description
The author’s passionate concern for Africa and for the human spirit is evident in this portrait of the “First People” of southern Africa, the Bushmen. Van der Post describes his desert travels, the splendid landscape and wildlife, and his encounters with the Bushman, an elusive culture. Drawings by Maurice Wilson.
Customer Reviews:
The great divide.......2004-07-16
I again with the earlier reviewer who pointed out the noticeable difference between the first part of this book and the latter; when Van der Post is recounting his experiences with the Bushmen (or San, if you prefer) and with various other folk who have come to inhabit the Kalahari the book is very interesting and informative. However, in the second half he feels the need to reinterpret the Bushmen's legends or myths through a Jungian perspective, a treatment I found neither compelling nor convincing. While the fragments of the Bushmen's tales are interesting and Van der Post's ruminations are occasionally thought provoking, I didn't particularly enjoy his technique of intercutting between a few sentences of the one and heavy doses of the other. I suppose that for the reader who cares to interpret everything by archetypes and quests it might prove intriguing, but I soon came to find it rather annoying and distracting.
Good beginning but goes no where.......2000-03-16
This is a decent book because I love anthropology, ethnobotony, and learning about the Bushman. The beginning of this book was great, the author discusses how he and his group fall upon a thirsty group of Bushman. That part is great because it describes the interactions between the author and the Bushman. One of the author's mate on the trip, Dabe, a Bushman himself, also offers amazing commentary when they run into the Bushman.
However, in the middle, who knows what is going on. And the end was so confusing, but sorta okay. Van der Post discusses Bushman creation tales which are good in themselves because most books overlook the spiritual aspect of the Bushman--but the tales need more explanation--Van der Post talks over your head and says things don't need an explanation when they really do.
I would recommend reading 'Nisa, The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman' and 'The Harmless People' which both can be purchased online here!
Feel the passion, hear the experiences of the Bushman........1999-02-06
Sir Laurens van der Post has a gift for story telling that we should all explore. The customs and myths of the Bushmen are simple, complex, spiritual, entertaining but always there is a lesson to be learned. This book will feed your mind and you will find yourself through Laurens' craft eager for more. If you have shut down your heart and your imagination, feel the beat of this book and get your pulse back.
Book Description
IT WAS A CONSPIRACY TO HIDE A SECRET EXPERIMENT
"RAAF captures flying saucer on ranch in Roswell region." Ever since this provocative headline appeared on July 8, 1947, conspiracy theorists have sincerely believed that the U.S. government has maintained an extensive operation of cover-up-and-denial regarding its knowledge of alien life. But there was, in fact, no UFO crash with dead alien bodies. What really happened on that fateful day is much more sinister. The persistent rumors surrounding the UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico, are part of a bigger conspiracy -- one orchestrated and fostered by the government itself as a smokescreen to bury a truth that is much darker, and disturbingly, far more believable.
Now, through never-before-revealed testimony from military whistleblowers, eyewitness intelligence reports, and an astonishing body of corroborative evidence, Nick Redfern lays out a shockingly plausible new theory on the Roswell incident: that the crash-site discovery of prototype military aircraft would expose a damning secret -- a highly confidential, U.S. government-sanctioned program to conduct medical experiments on deformed, handicapped, disfigured, and diseased Japanese POWs, exploited as "expendable" victims by their captors.
An important account that forces us to take a closer look at both the Roswell story and post-war American history, BODY SNATCHERS IN THE DESERT casts a startling, new light on a shocking conspiracy more than half a century in the making.
Download Description
"IT WAS A CONSPIRACY TO HIDE A SECRET EXPERIMENT ""RAAF captures flying saucer on ranch in Roswell region."" Ever since this provocative headline appeared on July 8, 1947, conspiracy theorists have sincerely believed that the U.S. government has maintained an extensive operation of cover-up-and-denial regarding its knowledge of alien life. But there was, in fact, no UFO crash with dead alien bodies. What really happened on that fateful day is much more sinister. The persistent rumors surrounding the UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico, are part of a bigger conspiracy -- one orchestrated and fostered by the government itself as a smokescreen to bury a truth that is much darker, and disturbingly, far more believable. Now, through never-before-revealed testimony from military whistleblowers, eyewitness intelligence reports, and an astonishing body of corroborative evidence, Nick Redfern lays out a shockingly plausible new theory on the Roswell incident: that the crash-site discovery of prototype military aircraft would expose a damning secret -- a highly confidential, U.S. government-sanctioned program to conduct medical experiments on deformed, handicapped, disfigured, and diseased Japanese POWs, exploited as ""expendable"" victims by their captors. An important account that forces us to take a closer look at both the Roswell story and post-war American history, BODY SNATCHERS IN THE DESERT casts a startling, new light on a shocking conspiracy more than half a century in the making. "
Customer Reviews:
Even believers in space aliens aren't necessarily open-minded.......2007-07-03
I've always been hesitant to believe the ET explanation for Roswell for the same reason that the grandmaster of ufology, Jacques Vallee, is: the ufonauts seem too damn sophisticated to "crash" accidentally--and leave bodies behind, besides. So if what happened at Roswell in the first week of July '47 really did involve aliens (whether interdimensional or extraterrestrial), then it seems likely that it would had to have been done entirely intentionally, to see how we'd respond (or for some similar purpose).
It's also always seemed unlikely to me that the US military actually knows what's going on better than serious civilian ufologists, and far more likely that since 1947 they've been committed to presenting an appearance of knowing far more than they actually do (so that the general populace thinks the UFO phenomonon is either completely bogus, or that the military knows what's up and keeping it under wraps; in either case, the impression will be that everything is under control, and we won't have to worry that our powerful leaders are actually as much at a loss as anyone else). The "leaked" documents over the past few decades (MJ-12, etc.), the hype around Area 51, and the transparently absurd "crash dummies" explanation the USAF gave in 1997 for the Roswell bodies seem to support this idea--that elements of the government want us to think they've actually got space aliens to hide. It would work to their advantage in many ways--particularly in keeping classified projects hidden under the mask of "ET spaceships," which keeps the UFO believers happy and the UFO disbelievers scoffing at any such assertions. Meanwhile, advanced military technology can quietly go about its business, either believed to be something it's not or dismissed outright as not worth paying attention to, but in neither case examined more closely for what it actually is.
I think Nick Redfern's "Body Snatchers" is a tremendous contribution to the Roswell mythos, despite Stanton Friedman's scathing review (on his website) to the contrary. Friedman is a hero of mine (his Roswell books "Crash at Corona" and "Top Secret/Majic" are some of the best-researched, sensible approaches to this mystery out there), so I'd initially sided with him on his analysis of this book when it first came out. But last year I decided to take a closer look at Redfern's work myself, and I'm glad I did. Redfern's explanation, while perhaps a bit hard to believe itself, seems to present the most plausible explanation yet for what happened at Roswell. Ufologists say, "If it was just a Project Mogul balloon train, as the air force insists, then why all the military secrecy and panic around the time of the incident? What of the Ramey memorandum, the eyewitness accounts of small "Oriental" bodies, etc.? And why did the Roswell Army Air Field seem to not know anything about it beforehand?" But if, as Redfern contends, it was a top-secret high-altitude military experiment launched from Los Alamos, NM, involving deformed Japanese POWs, then the heinous nature of such an experiment-gone-awry is reason enough for the decades of secrecy, and it explains both the panic, confusion, and the Asian bodies in a way that makes a great deal of sense without invoking our friendly neighborhood visitors. Redfern's explanation for the origin of Majestic 12 was another clincher for me; it made total sense and smacked of exactly the kind of humor certain members of the US intelligence agency have no doubt been delighting in--and taunting sincere ufologists with--for decades (shameless bastards that they are).
Read it, open your mind, and think for yourself... I still don't know what actually happened, but I have a better overview of the possibilities thanks to Redfern, and for that I'm grateful for his efforts.
Japanese midget prisoners with progeria?.......2006-02-23
The authors aim was to offer a prosaic explanation for the Roswell UFO crash. However, the author creates or hangs his explanation on a maze of speculation and hearsay, best summarised in two parts.
[1]. CAUSE: Four Chinese or Japanese midget prisoners with progeria are transfer from the Japanese 731 Unit (Japan's Secret Biological Warfare Unit) in Manchuria to the United States (all secret). These progeria midgets are taught to pilot a Japanese version of the German Horten glider suspended below a Fugo balloon hybrid type flying device. The midgets on this occasion are sent up by the US to study something, in the upper atmosphere, nuclear energy for propulsion aircraft, radiation experiments, I don't know? But the hapless crew are sent up by the US Army (more secrets), their glider starts to spin and breaks up, one of the Chinese/Japanese progeria midgets is sucked out of the glider and... Oh I have to stop!!!!
[2]. SOURCE - Well would you believe 4 anonymous people. The primary tail tellers are called the "Black Widow" and an army "Colonel"? That's it!
The author attempts to link the whole scenario with official documents but fails badly. I wonder how the editor of this abomination kept a straight face. In fact the `crash alien space craft' story had a better chance of being real than this account. Look for better sourced material on the Roswell incident.
Down in flames. Save your money.
(Digital Version)
Non-human activities.......2005-12-16
Visit Roswell.
You'll see pronghorn antelopes. Endearing creatures. Especially the male, who will quickly move to the front of the herd when you stop the car or get off your bicycle. He fears you fancy his wives, you see.
If the animals are not evident, check the areas west of town. They're especially common there, and you'll probably encounter some without much searching or property rights violations.
If you're still stymied, ask the locals. Especially recent Mexican immigrants, as they tend to be more alert and observant than older European-derived inhabitants, especially the Anglos (a not altogether accurate term, as they may really be Danes or Poles or some amalgam)who may well be in a daze from too much television watching and Internet surfing. In addition, the Apaches are still in the uplands to the west and may have seen pronghorn recently.
All of these denizens of this area may have ideas about space aliens as well. I include the pronghorns. These last are not so likely to laugh in your face when you ask, or try to part you from whatever is left in your wallet.
Roswell and Postwar Human Experimentation.......2005-11-28
Of all the books on Roswell, this book makes historical sense. With all the lies, deceptions, international cloak and dagger psychological fabrications we've all read about over the years concerning Roswell and UFOs, Nick's research and eyewitness testimony is compelling. When you realize that in the late 40's and 50's the generation that was running this country had just fought two World Wars, and now were in the grip of the Cold War with the Soviet Union, a change in morality and mindset had to occur. After discovering the technologically advanced aircraft designs, and the medical advancements that were made through the torture and horrific experimentation on so called 'expendable human beings' from Nazi and Japanese scientist, an international conspiracy of epic proportions had to be created. The goal to continue the work clandestinely. This book shows that there was more going on in the desert than just crashed ufos and alien bodies.
Another Roswell Story.......2005-09-20
This is an interesting story which purports to explain the Roswell story. If the story is true, then it could explain Roswell. If its not true, its just another jewel encrusted helmet on the Roswell dung heap.
The basic Roswell story has been around for years, with quite a number of witnesses from ranking officers down telling a story about the crash of an ET ship, the recovery of bodies and so forth.
Over the years we have heard quite a number of people attempt to explain away Roswell, with very little sucess. We have also heard various witnesses come forward and tell incredible stories that can be verified, and we have heard some incredible stories that cannot be verified. We have had witness tell inaccurate stories and so on and so forth.
The problems with the stories told by people in the Redfern book (not the author) is that we are again dealing with people who are telling an incredible story, yet we don't know as yet IF the their background can be independently verified or checked out. Did they actually in fact work where they claimed to have worked? Did they actually hold the rank and or position they claimed to have been? Does anybody that worked at those locations recall them?
For example I remember a person who purported himself to be an Air Force Colonel who told some pretty incredible stories. When people finally got around to independently checking his background, such as supposed service records and unit historys, people found out that he didn't even show up. He pretty much faded away after that.
Even if the witnesses can be checked out and verified, apparently there are no documents that can verify the story these witnesses told Nick Redfern...at this point.
So in the end we have an interesting story that may be true. Time and further research will tell.
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The Heart of the Desert
Honore Willsie
Manufacturer: A.L. Burt Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: B00087MAXK |
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- A beautiful, informative, somewhat incomplete read
- A magnificent guide to a part of the best place on Earth
- Winner Utah State Book Award for nonfiction!
- Journey To Another World
- It's what you wanted to know about Grand Staircase-Escalante
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Heart of the Desert Wild
Greer K. Chesher
Manufacturer: Bryce Canyon Natural History Association
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Zion Canyon: A Storied Land (Desert Places)
ASIN: 1882054075 |
Book Description
Heart of the Desert Wild combines naturalist writer Greer K. Chesher's thought provoking prose with photographer Liz Hymans' spectacular panoramic images to evoke the wonder of Grand Staircase-Escalante. Beginning with the land's rocky past and combing through the woven layers of place - native grasses and bighorn sheep, the sound of moving waters and the people drawn to them, strange soils and rare plants - the book provides an intergrated geography of what anthropollogist Clyde Kluckhohn once called the "last Holy Place."
Customer Reviews:
A beautiful, informative, somewhat incomplete read.......2005-09-28
This book is almost certainly the best book currently out there about the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, if for no other reason than the photos alone. The writing isn't bad either, and the whole book gives a good overview of this amazing monument.
The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is an almost 2700-square-mile area of southern Utah set aside by President Clinton in 1996. The area borders Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, stretches for miles up to Bryce Canyon National Park, Dixie National Forest, and Utah's "forgotten" national park, Capitol Reef.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is bigger than Utah's five national parks put together, and bigger than the entire state of Delaware. It protects one of the largest areas of wilderness remaining in the lower forty-eight states--an area that includes thousand-year-old piñon and juniper trees, countless canyons and mesas, and an estimated 100,000 archeological sites including pictographs, pit-houses, and rock shelters. The monument includes the Grand Staircase--a series of massive cliffs and benches that form a natural desert staircase only a giant could use; it includes the 1600-square-mile Kaiparowits Plateau--a long plateau of scarcely explored mesas; and, it includes all the canyons of the Escalante River that aren't within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Many people, including the authors of this book, I presume, consider the monument to be only a good thing--and it might be--but there's a lot more to the issue.
President Clinton made it a monument without seeking approval from Utah's governor, its congressional delegates, or the people whose incomes and livelihoods depend on the area. Utah's small town locals were so upset that they wore black armbands, released black balloons, and lynched dummies made to look like Bill Clinton from their lampposts. President Clinton didn't even dare come to Utah for the monument's dedication. Instead, he held the dedication in Arizona, on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, an over one hundred-mile-long drive from the monument itself.
The Utah townspeople of Tropic, Henrieville, Escalante, and Boulder all feared that the monument would take away their grazing land, and that it would interfere with their ability to earn money extracting coal, gas, and oil from within the monument--and it does. That's the idea, I suppose. It's supposed to stop people from mining and developing the area, and from ruining an irreplaceable wilderness.
But the ranchers that used to graze cattle there have REALLY had a hard time though. They depend on grazing land to make a living, and the government has tried a lot of tricks to sneak the ranchers' sheep and cows away.
The book doesn't really talk much about the impact the monument had on the area's people, like the ranching families that have lived there for well over a century. I've had the opportunity to meet and interview a few of these families, and was amazed that many of them were left completely unable to support their families in the way they had for generations. I've heard stories of the government rounding up and selling the families' cattle without their permission, even though the monument's rules techinically provided for the continued grazing rights of the local families.
Anyway. Overall, this is a great book. The photos are beautiful, and it's well put-together. But the area is more than just a pretty, historic place. It's home to a lot of people, and those people have long been part of this area's history.
A magnificent guide to a part of the best place on Earth.......2002-08-05
I am a Colorado Plateau freak who probably has better than 50 books on the area, and who has taken at least a dozen vacations to the area. Of all of my own books and some I don't own, but have read on the area, this is one of the very best.
The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was created in 1996. It was long overdue. The monument (And it should be a full-fledged National Park, IMHO.), preserves the most single significant block of Cretaceous strata in the world, numerous exquisite arches and slot canyons of exceptional size and beauty, tremendous geological faults, colorful, spectacular rock formations, fossilized animals and plants, and irreplaceable Native American relics and structures. The area is still being explored and more of these and other wonders are being located each year.
This excellent book covers all of these matters and more in considerable written detail. Magnificent color photography follows the text and lays open this wonderful country for all to see. The text is carefully drafted, and the photos follow the text very well.
If you never have the good fortune to visit this area, this book will give a very fine glimpse into the need for its preservation. If you have visited it, as I have, the book will evoke countless pleasant memories. IF YOU ARE GOING TO VISIT IT, for the first time, or on a repeat basis, read this book thoroughly to make intelligent decision about what to see and do, since you can't possibly see it all in one trip.
This book receives the highest recommendation.
Winner Utah State Book Award for nonfiction!.......2002-07-04
Heart of the Desert Wild, first book by author Greer Chesher and first complete book for photographer Liz Hymans, won the nonfiction category at the Utah State Book Awards in November 2001! Last year Terry Tempest Williams won that award, and the competition was excellent this year - the third year Utah has participated in the Library of Congress, Center for the Book's program. In addition to the usual information found in interpretive books, "Heart of the Desert Wild" features an opening chapter that describes the importance of public lands in general and this monument in particular. Ms. Hymans, one of the leading professional panoramic photographers in the US, illuminates the text with 135 magnificent photos, and Ms. Chesher's text is both informative and a pleasure to read.
Journey To Another World.......2001-06-25
This is an excellent book. If you've never been to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument -- and few have -- you'll want to see this book. It's like a voyage to another planet. And if you have been there, you'll certainly want to have this book. It's a memorable summary of an unforgetable place. The photographs of panoramic photographer Liz Hymans are spectacular -- breath-takingly beautiful. And the text by Greer Chesher graphically captures the amazing details of this exotic land. My words, however glowing, can't do justice to the scope and wonder of this book. So I'll just save my effort -- and save you reading more of this dull review -- to say: Go look at the book itself! You won't be disappointed.
It's what you wanted to know about Grand Staircase-Escalante.......2001-05-06
This book does a beautiful job conveying the sheer beauty of the new Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument in its photographs, while also presenting a comprehensive and well-written account of the geology, ecology and human history that makes this part of Southern Utah such a trasure. Is is noteworthy that the pictures give a balanced view of the whole area and don't just reiterate the usual postcard images. The text is aimed at a general readership, without "dumming down". And, yes, I found answers to many things I had wondered about (cryptogamic soil, coal beds, etc..) on my visits.
Book Description
The book that launched the ground-breaking and single most popular lesbian movie of all time is back.
In this romantic classic by Jane Rule, readers can discover how Ann and Evelyn's relationship originally came to pass.
DESERT OF THE HEART is THE definitive lesbian classic.
Customer Reviews:
Kinda dated, and that's good news for us!.......2006-09-15
When I first read Rule's "Desert of The Heart" in the late 70's, there wasn't much else to read on the subject. Today, the book seems dated... much focus on shame and guilt, the characters ruminating frequently on society's insistence that women be married ladies, and such-like.
Thanks to the gay and lesbian civil rights movement, this book doesn't apply to a lot of us anymore. But, thank you, Jane Rule, for putting out a book that many people held dear at the time.... it was a little opening up of the questions that people needed to hear discussed back then.
Timeless - One of the best books I ever read.......2005-11-19
I've been reading for over 30 years and I am not exaggerating that this is a terrific novel that should not be missed. There is as much depth in one chapter as you will get in entire novels. The writing simply flows and you don't put the book down until you notice the day has gone dark and lunch and dinner time have passed you by. Wonderful characters so rich in details they you wonder about them long after the novel ends.
Here is a description of the novel from the publishers web site - Evelyn Hall arrives in Reno wanting only to be left alone while she waits six weeks for a painful divorce from her husband. Once there she meets Ann Child - 15 years her junior, who is both a free spirit and a lesbian. Soon Ann refuses to let the controlled but vulnerable Evelyn ignore the powerful emotions that begin to unleash inside her... Immortalized for a whole new generation by the film Desert Hearts, Jane Rule's classic DESERT OF THE HEART is arguably her finest novel. Joyce Carol Oates called it "an intelligent and utterly believable novel". Told with all the wit and skill of this fine novelist, the book stands as a classic of lesbian literature.
I enjoyed it so much I bought the dvd!
I also went and bought the authors other novels.
On the boundary.......2002-02-26
Evelyn travels to a small Nevada town to finalize her divorce, and there encounters Ann. The two slowly ease into a love affair, and as Evelyn's court appearance and scheduled departure loom ahead, the two struggle to figure out just how a relationship between two women could possibly last. Rule's writing is a bit dated for modern audiences, but the potency of Ann and Evelyn's love burns through the later parts of the novel. I think the movie adaption "Desert Hearts" beautifully captures the essentials of the book, but like the other reviewers have mentioned, it's almost a different story in places.
Classic Love Story.......2001-08-28
As one reviewer said, if you expect the film to be exactly like the book, you'll be disappointed. However, it is a lyrical, complex book which demands much from the reader. It is not one of the lollypop romance books which now seem to be the norm. There is nothing wrong with lollypop but if you eat too much you get indigestion of the brain. This book, for me, resolved some observations I had made in the movie that didn't seem to make sense or seem right for the story and Rule justified my doubts about certain things. In the book, Evelyn (Vivien in the movie) is not so much uptight as unsure and conflicted and Ann (Kay in the movie) is much more complex. THere are subplots which are missing in the movie and I have no complaints with that because they would have taken away from the main story and would have made it much longer than it should be.You will find a big difference in the character of Frances that was portrayed in the movie. She too is much more complex. If you want to read a book which will engage your mind and soul, as well as your heart, then read Desert of the Heart. First rate.
Conflicted.......2001-03-01
This is an extremely well written book, but if you're looking for it after seeing the movie, you might find it a bit different and unpalatable. The book has a cold and desolate feel which is apropriate for the way Rule goes with the story, and the writing is amazing, but it is not such a sweet love story as the movie, and Freud would have a ball with these two! There is much talk of the two women and a mother/daughter relationship which may offended some readers. Incidentally, the movie is actually "Desert Hearts" not "Desert of the heart" as the other reviewer mentioned, and they are both very different.
Average customer rating:
- La Frontera's Most Desolate Splendor
- Beautiful book about eh Sonoran desert
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Desert Heart: Chronicles of the Sonoran Desert
William K. Hartmann
Manufacturer: Fisher Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1555610250 |
Customer Reviews:
La Frontera's Most Desolate Splendor.......2007-10-06
A few years ago I was lucky enough to take a trip along the Camino del Diablo. We had two vehicles, plenty of water and food, and full gas tanks. We signed the papers that we would not hold the United States Government responsible for anything that happened to us, and then set out from Ajo to as far as we could go, finally stopping within sight of the Tinajas Altas Mountains after an overnight camp at Tule Well. I am sorry not to have reached Tinajas Altas, but glad to have made the trip. The only people we saw were in a caravan geology field trip from Arizona State University, and camping under the stars in the Tule Mountains was well worth the difficulties of getting there. I even found Halley's Comet among the seeming millions of points of light.
I recently came across William K. Hartman's book, "Desert Heart: Chronicles of the Sonoran Desert" in a secondhand book store and was enchanted by the photographs and historical background. While I never reached Tinajas Altas, I was at last granted several nice photos of the place, now scarred by the tire tracks of ORVS and vandalized, as noted by Hartman (he is, somewhat appropriately, an astronomer, considering my cometary observation). Perhaps I should never get there, as it might now be a disappointment, but I still cherish my trip down the Devil's Highway and the trips I had made earlier down the old Fortuna Mine Road toward the tanks on the other side.
This is a great book on a subject that is difficult to capture in words, or even photographs. Only the confirmed desert rat can understand the fascination with such desolate places on the earth. Still Hartman does somehow captures this fascination and expands on it to make this remarkable area of our planet come alive.
The photos and historical narrative makes this book unique, as the area involved is seldom discussed in books. It deserves better, and Hartman's book is a great start.
Beautiful book about eh Sonoran desert.......2000-05-02
This is a beautiful book about the landscape and lore of the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and Mexico. It will appeal equally to the student of geology or history.
The book is the culmination of the author's 30 years experience in exploring and studying the region. This was an area of ancient volcanic activity which shaped the land and left many interesting features shown here.
Hartmann also tells the story of several waves of explorers and settlers, from the Spanish under Cortes, to the missionaries, to Twentieth Century American expeditions. Of course, the Indian history of the area is also covered.
Many stunning photos of unusual geologic formations and gorgeous desert landscapes combine with a captivating story to make this a fascinating book. It is truly original and one of a kind.
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