B
OOKS
R
ECEIVED
1
Deeper Than Gold. A Guide to Indian Life in
the Sierra Foothills. Bibby, Brian. 2005.
Heyday Books, P.O. Box 9145 Berkeley, CA
94709; www.heydaybooks.com. xx + 204 pp.
(paperback). USD 18.95. ISBN 978-0-
930588-96-7 … I found myself wishing some-
one had proofed the spelling and the illogical
and unnecessary use of cuss words. There was
some good information in the book however, it
was scattered. The book did not flow well and
there were several pages where the author
force-fed the reader on his view of how
California mistreats their environment/ecosys-
tems. The book was a difficult read, and I
would not recommend this book. — Janine
Joi, Blue Sage Naturals, Phoenix, AZ, USA,
janine@bluesagenaturals.com.
Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West.
Cultural and Scientific Basis for Their Use,
Second Edition. Garcia, Cecelia and James D.
Adams. 2009. Abedus Press, PO Box 8019, La
Crescentia, CA 91214; http://abeduspress.
com. 254 pp. (paperback). USD 20.33. ISBN:
978-0-9763091-3-0. This editon is not greatly
changed from the first. Arrangement of pages
and substitutions of new photographs seems to
be the biggest difference. If text has been
changed or added, I did not locate it in a quick
page-by-page comparison. Some of the photo-
graphs in this are markedly better than the
2005 printing; for others, I prefer the old ones.
I also miss the drawings from indigenous
artwork in the first edition. If you did not get
the 2005 version, this one is cheaper.
Natural Environments of Arizona. From
Deserts to Mountains. Ffolliott, Peter F. and
Owen K. Davis, eds. 2008. University of
Arizona Press, 355 Euclid Ave., Suite 103.
Tucson, AZ 85719; www.uapress.arizona.edu.
p. x + 196 pp. (paperback). USD 19.95
(paperback), 40.00 (hardcover). USD 19.95
(paperback), USD 40.00 (hardcover) … In
some ways this is an update and amendment to
C. H. Lowe’s Arizona’s Natural Environment:
Landscapes and Habitats. (University of Arizona
Press). This new book, however, goes consid-
erably beyond the scope of Lowe’s. This is a
fine introduction to the wilder areas of the
state, with contributions from 10 long-term
researchers on the state.
Sonoran Desert Life. Understanding, Insights,
and Enjoyment. Rosenthal, Gerald A. 2007.
Academic Insights, Scottsdale, AZ 85266-
7112; www.sonorandesertlife.com; distributed
by University of Arizona Press, 355 S. Euclid
Avenue, Suite 103, Tucson, AZ 85719; www.
uapress.arizona.edu. 306 pp. (paperback).
USD 27.95. ISBN 978-0-615-18671-9 …
This small field guide provides some basic
information, mostly about plants, but includ-
ing numerous animals also. The photographs
are mostly good, although the insets sometimes
have been reduced so much that their utility is
decreased. There are a few errors (e.g., Conyza
canadensis is called Baccharis salicifolia, p. 235).
Still, it’s a good addition to the knapsack or
pocket for exploring in the Sonoran Desert.
TheCherokeeNation.AHistory.Conley,
Robert J. 2007. University of New Mexico
Press, MSC04 2820, 1 University of New
Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001;
www.unmpress.com … x + 265 pp. (paper-
back). Hardcover published 2005. USD 19.95.
ISBN 978-0-8263-3235-6. … According to
Conley, this book was commissioned to be
written by the Cherokee Nation under the
Wilma Mankiller administration, from 1985 to
1995. Chad Smith, who later became chief was
also instrumental in getting the project started.
The text is generally properly researched and
well written, as one would expect from a
novelist. Unfortunately, that statement does
not apply to the theories of origins of the
Cherokee. Conley subscribed to the outdated
and archaeologically unsupported theory that
the people we now call Cherokees were from
1
Unsigned commentaries are by the book review editor;
he alone is responsible for opinions expressed.
Economic Botany, 63(4), 2009, pp. 456–457.
© 2009, by The New York Botanical Garden Press, Bronx, NY 10458-5126 U.S.A.